Bravery In Being Psoft
by Smurficorn
Summary: Safi really didn't like coffee. In fact, she hated it. But after countless sleepless nights dealing with Harry Potter aka 'the boy who can't have a calm year' getting into trouble with an escaped serial killer, premonitions that turn into nightmares, and worst of all George Weasley suddenly turning sexy, you're gonna need at least 9 coffees a day just to cope. And maybe some beer.
1. Introductions

There is something that Mrs Agnes Smith of number 5 Privet Drive will never forget.

She herself testifies to whatever Gods may be, that she will never forget this such incident. She may forget to buy cheese, or where she last put her slippers.

But she will never ever EVER forget the day she saw Safi Psoft turn into a bear.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. A little girl, turn into a hulking bear. Maybe if I relay over Agnes's actual testimony it might make more sense.

Agnes Smith was watering her begonias one Summer night as she had forgotten earlier in the day, and she let out a little smile as she looked up at the stars.

She had always liked the ways the rooftops of Privet Drive were unique to Surrey, they seemed to make the stars twinkle brighter, at least in her opinion.

Agnes simply smiled up at the sky on this insignificant night, when she skewed her eyes over to number 4 Privet drive, let out an audible gasp, and dropped the hose, letting water arc up around her, soaking into her pink, woollen night coat.

She blinked once, twice, three times, and finally satisfied that what she was seeing was real, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Right there, in the top window of Number 4, on the second level bedroom, was Safi Psoft, transforming into a bear.

Privet Drive all knew that the two children that lived at Number 4 were of the utmost peculiar. The other child, Dudley was only peculiar for his enormous size. The street gossipers often got together to discuss the latest strange happenstance, but by God this took the cake!

Agnes mumbled dumbly, staring with wide eyes, her knees hobbling side by side.

"A b-b-bear! A bear!" she wheezed, her thin lips quaking and quivering.

Suddenly, Agnes observed Safi—or rather Safi bear, turning her head towards the window, and locking eyes straight with Agnes.

The frail women clamped her eyes shut, her arms stiff by her sides as a nervous breath whistled out of her.

Agnes started shaking in her fluffy slippers, her hair rollers bobbing up and down madly.

"Our father...who art—art in heaven h-h-hallowed be thy na-name..." she whispered pleadingly.

The poor, old woman's brain whizzed and whirled for what seemed like an eternity, but in all honestly it was only a few seconds.

She only opened her eyes when she heard hurried footsteps coming towards her and a gentle hand touch her shoulder.

"Mrs Smith?"

Agnes's eyes flew open and she jumped back with a wild cackle, the sound echoing around the empty street and into the night.

The old woman took in the sight of Safi standing before her.

She was a very small girl, albeit a little chubby, and her wicked smirk was as much a natural part of her as her wild, blonde curls.

Safi let out a small chuckle as she took back her outstretched hand, the other hand held behind her back.

"Hi, Mrs Smith. Lovely night isn't it?" she remarked pleasantly, rocking back and forth on her naked feet, "Mercury is in retrograde at the moment. You can tell because the——"

"BEAR!" Agnes violently screamed suddenly, before her wrinkled hands flew up to clamp shut over her mouth, muffling her own cry.

Safi blinked her grey eyes, before a slight snicker left her.

"Yes! I thought you seemed a bit concerned, her let me show you—" she said, stopping mid sentence, her arm retreating from behind her back to reveal an oddly realistic bear mask.

Agnes's brow dove on her face and she spluttered, her jowls flopping slightly.

"But-but-but you were-it the-bear-what" she bumbled madly.

Safi smirked charmingly, waving her hands in the air.

"Oh no no no, Mrs Smith! This is my costume" she clarified, "I'm rehearsing for a school play! I'm playing a bear you see, and I wanted to go all out this year y'know?" she grinned, offering the bear mask to the shaken lady.

Agnes slowly began to nod, a weary smile forming between her jowls.

"Yes...yes a play. You're rehearsing for a play" she repeated, almost like a manic mantra.

The wizened woman bent to pick up her hose, which had caused a gigantic puddle in the middle of her lawn, and began watering her begonias again.

"It's just a play... just a play...she's a bear in a play..." she repeated over and over, seeming to forget the blonde girl behind her.

Safi nodded happily, slowly walking backward to her house, the slow chant from Mrs Smith becoming quieter and quieter.

She kept walking backwards until her back hit the fence, then she smirked to herself, and let out a mad snicker, before turning to grip the top of the fence and vaulting herself into the backyard of her house.

When she turned around, Harry was sagged against the oak tree with a big smile on his face, his round glasses glinting in the moonlight.

"So? What's the verdict? Did she buy it or will we have to..." he paused dramatically, lifting a pear of Petunias garden shears, "...silence her?" he joked, cackling lightly.

Safi guffawed, before she slapped a hand over her mouth, remembering that if she wakes up any of the Dursley's it'll most likely result in a verbal and physical beating.

"Calm down Ted Bundy, she bought it, no one can resist my charms" she tittered mockingly, dramatically flipping the bear mask in the air, watching as it whirled in the air and turned itself back into a simple handkerchief.

"Ta da!" she mused, running over to the tree and vaulting herself up to the first branch, reaching an arm out to Harry.

Harry accepted, clasping his arm around hers and pulling himself up onto the thick branch and settling himself beside her, letting out a gentle sigh.

He turned to her, his scruffy, black hair shuffling in the soft breeze.

"Y'know we're in deep shit right? That's the second time we've used magic outside of school—-"

"Third!" she corrected, turning to beam at him cheekily, "can't forget when you kept half the street up because you just HAD to practice your light charms" she stated, reaching up to rub her eyes, the memory of blinding light still prominent.

Harry snickered, probably remembering how annoyed it made Vernon.

"Hey now, we both got special consideration from McGonagall seeing as we're both stupidly behind in class" Harry reminded, kicking his legs back and forth in the air.

Safi scoffed, "you're stupidly behind, she gave me special consideration because, and I quote; 'you've got an unusually grand knack for transfiguration, Safi'" she crowed, imitating the professors voice perfectly.

Harry spluttered madly, cackling so hard he nearly fell off the branch.

Safi giggled as she caught him by the back of his Weasley jumper and righted him, having to grip onto the tree trunk to help herself.

Soon, the laughter simmered out into the crisp night air, a soft wind running past them, swirling the clouds and the leaves.

The two took a deep breath, and in that moment, that quiet moment when everything was still, things became a little sad.

"Do you think..." Harry began, tampering off, his eyes glazing over slightly.

Safi's face turned down, and she automatically placed her hand atop his, feeling how cold he was.

"Think what?" she asked, squeezing his hand encouragingly.

Harry shook his head, aiming to clear his muddled thoughts, but found them to be muddled just the same.

"Do you think it'll ever be over? That one day it'll all be okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, all completely filled with hope.

Safi stilled, and the night around her seemed to still with her.

"Do you remember how we felt when we were sorted into different houses?" she asked, turning her body towards him, her grey eyes bright.

Harry locked eyes with her, his face wore a confused look, but he nodded.

"Yeah? So what?" he shrugged.

"So, we both felt scared, like being in different houses meant we'd somehow forget eachother, or it would mean we couldn't ever be a family again" she continued, scooting closer to him.

"But then the first night, you and I both snuck out, and we wandered around Hogwarts all night, talking to the portraits, finding all the secret places, just making sure we'd always be together?"

Harry nodded, a small smile forming on his face.

"We got two weeks detention" he chuckled, moving to rest his head on her shoulder, her blonde curls tickling his face.

Safi rested her head against his, "what I'm trying to say is, we got through being in different houses, we got through professor Quirrel, we got through a big stupid snake, we got through uncle Vernon's beatings..." she whispered the last part, shivering slightly at the memories.

Suddenly, she heard a soft breathing, and realised Harry had fallen asleep on her shoulder, his glasses nearly falling off his face.

Safi let out a chuckle and deftly moved his body from her shoulder so he rested on her lap.

Harry let out a soft sigh, and relaxed completely, his mouth opening to snore quietly.

Safi smiled, resting her head against the trunk, moving her hand to settle into Harry's untameable mop of hair.

For most of her life Safi had wondered what it was like to have a family, but as she grew older she realised she'd had one all along.

"What I'm saying is... we're gonna be just fine, I'll make sure of it" she promised, her eyes fluttering closed as sleep consumed her.


	2. Dearest Aunt Marge

Safi let out a feeble yawn, turning sluggishly towards Harry as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

She had just woken up from one of the worst sleeps of her life. It probably had something to do with the fact that Petunia had kept her up late polishing the tiles in the kitchen, making sure everything was god-like perfect for the visit of dearest Aunt Marge.

Safi grimaced at the thought of that woman, a shiver passing through her. She'd be staying a whole week!

Vernon and Petunia were out at the moment, going to pick up the devil herself, Dudders remained behind, glued to one of his 10 TV sets.

To distract themselves from the impending doom, Harry and Safi began sorting their favourite comic characters into the Hogwarts houses they thought best suited them.

Safi and Harry were absolutely obsessed with the Marvel comics, the adventures of the many heroes being their only escape from the harsh reality they lived in.

"What about Captain America?" she asked, pushing down the sleeves of her yellow and black jumper, looking expectantly at Harry.

Harry hummed to himself, before sitting back in the rickety wooden chair, twisting his body around to face her.

"Obviously a Gryffindor" he finally stated, nodding confidently. "He always lays down his life for those in need, he's just an all round Gryffindor-ish guy".

Safi nodded, accepting the idea.

"Okay, what about Iron Man?" she asked, moving across the small room, leaning against the window.

Again, Harry hummed in thought.

"Probably a Ravenclaw, because, let's be honest, he's the smartest avenger" he noted, pushing his round spectacles further up the bridge of his nose.

Safi paused to think, then shook her head vigorously, blonde curls flying around her.

"Nah, Iron Man is definitely a Slytherin in my opinion, he's a cocky bloke, and far more ambitious than the rest of them. Total Slytherin" she finished with a nod, turning to rub the cuff of her jumper against the window, wiping away the smudges and grime so she could get a better view.

Behind her, Harry scoffed.

"Great. Now you've ruined Iron Man for me" he complained, slumping his head down on the dark, oak desk with a thump, Hedwig watching curiously from her cage.

Safi just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You're seriously one of the worst House grudgers in the history of Hogwarts" she admonished, adjusting the curtain, making sure Mrs Smith wouldn't see anything magical on accident again.

"Me?!" Harry shrieked in disbelief, whirling around and giving Safi a look that said 'are you actually serious?'.

Safi just raised a single brow as if to say 'yes you big dumb idiot I am'.

"No way!" he practically screamed, "It's always the Slytherins that end up being the worst wizards and you know it!" Harry cried, jumping in his seat.

The blonde had to physically stop herself rolling her eyes in fear they might roll completely out of her head and onto the floor at Harry's feet.

"Bullshit, Harry" she simply said, "Honestly, Gryffindors and Slytherins have been having a constant dick measuring competition since the inception of Hogwarts, and the rest of the school is both having a fat laugh at how thick you all are and simultaneously being absolutely sick of it" she explained, leaning over to where he was to flick him on the nose.

Harry slapped her hand away as he opened his mouth again.

"You're just saying that because you're trying to keep the peace like a good little Hufflepuff" he teased, smirking as he watched anger slowly simmer on her face.

Safi's face scrunched, a slow red surfacing on her cheeks.

"Well this 'good little Hufflepuff' is about to kick your ass if you keep being a thicky McThickhead, got it?" she hotly threatened, her deadly glare stabbing into him.

Harry's face was blank for a moment, and Safi thought for a moment that Harry might've been petrified, but that was before his facade dropped, and he dissolved into snorts and snickers, completely doubling over with giggles.

"I'm sorry!" he wheezed, inhaling desperately for air as he clutched his ribs.

The mocking laughter rang throughout the room as Safi sneered at the madly giggling boy.

"Alright then, guess whose breakfast porridge I'm going to ask Fred and George to slip one of their special products into" she warned, a sly grin tugging at her mouth.

Harry choked on his laughter then inhaled loudly, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You..." he drawled off, scanning her face carefully, "you're bluffing?" he said, his words coming out more like a question.

Safi feigned indifference, leaning against the wall, pretending to be very interested in the state of her nails.

"Try me, Potter" she teased with a poker face that would make even Merlin question himself.

Harry opened his mouth, then immediately closed it, resigning himself to the fact that he'd one day be the victim of wicked jinx courtesy of the king pranksters themselves.

The two simply played a game of poker face, before an idea formed in Harry's head, and he couldn't help the wily and almost mad smile that had plastered itself on his face.

Safi twitched, slowly backing away from him.

"No...what're you planning?" she asked, sliding along the wall until her back hit the wardrobe.

Harry's arms then sprang up from his sides and he advanced toward her his goofy grin seeming absolutely evil.

Realisation dawned on Safi.

"No! No no no! Don't even think about—-"

WHAM.

Safi and Harry went sailing onto Harry's bed, as Harry tackled her around the waist, his arms wrapped around her like a vice.

"It's hug time!" he announced loudly, snuggling himself closer to her even as she thumped him with her fists.

"Geroff me!" she screamed, her words muffled by the pillow she found herself planted into face first.

Ever since they were little, Safi would always shy away from contact but especially from hugs.

So naturally, Harry forced as many hugs on her as he could.

Safi squirmed in his hold, before slumping into it, defeated.

Harry tittered, lifting his head to smirk up at her victoriously, to which she growled.

"Hey now, don't go animagus on me, that would be...un-bear-able" he said, biting his upper lip as snickers and titters left him.

Safi groaned, banging her head against the pillow.

"This is torture, I hate you, Potter!" she cried.

Harry let out an awww, finally releasing her, to which she immediately scrambled away, hissing at him, raising her hand in a claw motion.

Harry just laughed at her.

"You don't hate me, Psoft, you can't hate family! Especially one you're stuck with" he said, meaning it as a joke.

But his words hung in the air, like a perpetual dark cloud that refused to let the sun shine.

Safi's face slowly fell, and she scooted closer, instinctively laying her hand over his.

"Don't say that..." she whispered, squeezing his hand, "please don't say that".

Harry locked his green eyes to her greys ones, and both their heads whirled, this action of simple contact achingly familiar for them both.

No one can really imagine what it's like to grow up with no loving family, when the only people who are supposed to take care of you are the ones who despise you most, so all you have are eachother.

Safi and Harry had been dropped off on the Dursley's doorstep, sharing not just a small basket, but the dark fact that neither of them had any family.

Ever since then, the only love they received, the only semblance of comfort, was from each other.

They knew they weren't blood related, but did that actually matter? The answer is of course not. Not even a little.

For years, all they had was the empty hole inside of them where the feeling of a kind family should be, but all along, they also had each other. And even though they didn't realise it at first, they were all the family they needed.

Safi blinked, coming back to reality, and she smiled at Harry, who beamed back.

And just like that, like it was never there, the dark cloud lifted, and tucked itself away back inside them.

"Eh, I know you love me, I'm your most favourite person in the whole world" Harry announced, playfully punching her in the arm before spinning away and flourishing dramatically.

Safi just rolled her eyes again for the millionth time and scoffed.

"My favourite person in the whole world, as you very well know is my precious little Bowie!" she squealed happily, bounding across the room to the small terrarium next to Hedwig's cage, reaching in to stroke her pet toad.

Harry shook his head, moving to stand next to Safi, gazing into the toad's cage, wrinkling his nose.

"I'll still never understand why you chose a toad over literally any other creature to take to Hogwarts" he said, turning to tickle Hedwig under her beak.

"You don't understand, I looked across the emporium, he and I locked eyes, it was love at first sight" she cooed dramatically, fanning her face as Harry shook his head at her.

"You're barking mad, Psoft" he said, but unable to hide the smile from his face.

Safi let out a chuckle, turning to grab the nearest object, which happened to be her Hufflepuff banner, and she let out a cackle and lobbed it at him, her throw stunningly accurate, as it should be as she is the, self-appointed most awesome Hufflepuff chaser on her house team.

Harry squeals, cowering even as it simply flutters against his shoulder.

"Don't taint me with Hufflepuff things! Or I'll hex you into——"

SLAM

Harry and Safi both freeze, they lock eyes briefly, before they both bolt quick as a flash to the tiny window.

In the street below their window, they see it.

Their nightmare.

Petunia and Vernon step out of their junker car, and beside it already standing, or rather looming, is the force of evil herself in all her button-bursting glory.

Aunt Marge.

"Absolute shitting bollocks" Safi whispers, tearing her horrified gaze away and bursting towards the door with Harry hot on her heels.

The pair practically fly down the stairs, extremely ungracefully, nearly knocking each other over as they bowl for the door.

Harry reaches it just in time as Marge knocks on the door.

Safi let's out a quick breath of relief. Last time Marge was here she had made the most grievous mistake of making Aunt Marge have to knock three times before the door was opened.

As is reasonable, she was promptly backhanded by an umbrella.

The same umbrella that Marge was currently passing straight to Harry. Or rather shoving it in his general direction.

Safi zipped backwards, plastering herself against the wall, making sure the adults could pass easily.

As Marge walked by, she shoved a bag almost as big as herself straight into Safi's gut. Making the poor girl winded and doubled over.

Murder swiftly ran through Safi's head, but she clenched her teeth and straightened herself up, sharing a mournful glance with Harry, who was busy lugging Marge's coat onto a hook.

As Harry bustles past her, Safi quickly throws the luggage aside, with as much care for its contents as the care she has for its owner.

She turns to follow Harry, moving to stand by his side, and nearly feels sick as she watches Marge talk to Dudley like he's a precious baby.

Sure he looks like a baby, even acts like one, but he sure doesn't hit like one.

Safi rubs the back of her head, memories of all the wallops coming back to her, when she suddenly focuses back on reality and realises that Marge is staring right at her.

"What?" Safi says automatically, looking around, trying to figure out what Marge said to her.

Marge glowers, but a small, cruel smirk that seems to be permanent is baring itself at Safi like a rabid dog, like a challenge.

"I said, you stupid girl, that I can't believe you're still here" she scoffs, her whole body wobbling with the effort.

Safi breathes slowly, and she daintily feigns a smile, brightly beaming at the cold woman.

"Hello Aunt Marge!" she titters, watching Marge's brow crease with confusion.

"Hello? Did you do something to your brain since last I was here?" she snickers heartily, apparently impressed by her own insult.

"No but I see you've done something with your chins. I'm glad you decided to shave at least one of them this season, it really brings out your warts" Safi replies coolly, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking her signature Safi Psoft smirk, that makes the girls cry and the boys swoon.

However it seems that the Dursleys and Aunt Marge fail to fall for her perfect charms and wit.

A virtual thunderstorm of screams and curses lunge at her, thrown from the three offending adults.

Beside her, Harry has to pinch himself to keep from bursting at the seams with laughter.

As the screams keep falling on her deaf ears she simply sighs to herself and thinks the same vile thought over and over:

"It's going to be a long week".


	3. No turning back I guess

"Safi..." Harry spoke slowly, his breath coming out raggedly as he dragged his trunk behind him, poor Hedwig's cage rattling with every bump, ruffling her snowy feathers.

The blonde girl turned to him, dragging her own trunk behind her, all the various knick-knacks clinking together, Bowie tucked safely into his terrarium, croaking softly.

"Yeah?" she prodded, raising a brow at him as she pulled her leather jacket closer, tucking it sharply across her chest, inhaling sharply as she bumped her broken fist.

Harry simply smiled, a completely dumb found look dawning on his face.

"This is all your fault" he deadpanned with a slightly tense chuckle, his shoes squeaking as they continued walking along the streets of Surrey.

Safi slowly began to nod, her face completely frozen expressionless from shock.

"Well I should hope so" she offered, letting out a small, high-pitched chuckle, the events of the previous 3 hours replaying in her head...

~~~~~~~ 3 hours earlier~~~~~~~

Safi was racing back and forth in the kitchen, skidding slightly as she slammed into the bench, pain flaring across her hip.

"Shitting bollocks" she breathed, having no time to stop, she reached across the kitchen to flip the 4 premium cut steaks that sizzled in the pan, while the other half of her stabbed into the steamed vegetables to make sure they were just the right level of steaminess.

Harry bustled into the kitchen from the back door, carrying in freshly cut flowers as per Aunt Petunia's request.

Safi looked up from the cooking and let out a snicker.

"Of course you picked bloody Gryffindor colours didn't you, you absolute git" she admonished with a bright laugh, tossing a greasy tea towel onto her shoulder.

Harry suddenly glanced down at the bunch of flowers in his hands, seeing that they were indeed a bright mix of reds and yellows.

"That's my sub conscious making sure the best house in the whole world gets its proper recognition" he stated, emphasising the word 'great'.

Safi rolled her eyes, mumbling "typical bloody Gryffindors" under her breath as she turned back to the simmering steaks, taking great care to make sure nothing burns.

Suddenly, a small tap on Safi's shoulder made her turn, and she came face to face with a small gathering of flowers, their colours, black and yellow, Hufflepuff colours.

A smile lit up her weary face, and she looked at Harry, reaching up to scruff his hair.

"Y'know, for a complete idiot you can be very sweet" she chuckled, waving him away with a hand as she tucked the Hufflepuff themed bunch of flowers into the band of her denim jeans.

The two then busied about the kitchen and the rest of the house, making sure nothing was out of place and nothing would result in a possible beating, verbal or physical.

That was really just the life they were used to. It might seem very sad, after all, they're orphans who get beat up by their supposed family. But for them, it's just an everyday Tuesday night.

If they wanted to keep score, Safi is undoubtedly the one who takes the most blows for two particular reasons:

1\. She can't seem to keep her smart ass mouth shut.

2\. She can't seem to let Harry get hurt.

That's just the way it's always been, and always will be so long as Safi and Harry live under the roof of the Dursleys.

It wasn't all bad, one time after Vernon had locked Safi in her room she climbed out the window, went all the way around to the back kitchen window and set a small fire in the dish soap tray. The house smelt like burning lavender for weeks.

"Crap— Safi! They're coming" Harry suddenly whispered harshly, slapping Safi on the back with a spatula.

Safi shook herself, flipping the steaks one last time before she took them out to serve.

From the back door, Vernon, Petunia and Marge filed in, laughing about something Marge had just said.

"...and then I told him "no you can't have Christmas off, I don't care how many of your kids are sick!"" she mocked cruelly, laughing so hard Safi swore the ground shook beneath her feet.

The blonde simply scoffed under her breath, gently balancing the 4 china plates across her arms, swooping in silently to place them on the table.

Harry came in after her, deftly placing glasses and cutlery, making extra sure the napkins were folded just the way Petunia liked.

Then the pair silently slipped back into the kitchen, watching the family sit down at the table, giggling away, sipping brandy and gossiping like they had no time left in the world.

When scenes like this played out, Harry and Safi were often sadly fascinated.

Harry had always imagined himself being a part of the Dursley family, after all for a long time it was the only model for a family he knew. And with this he always felt an aching spot of loss deep within his chest which no matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to shake.

Safi however had a different reaction. She didn't feel despair at the sight of the happy Dursley family. She just felt enraged.

Enraged that she was robbed of whatever real family she came from.

Enraged that these people never cared for her or Harry.

Enraged that she cried herself to sleep at night for years.

Enraged. Plain and simple.

"Do get that look off of your face, girl, you look like a sour lemon" Petunia snapped, staring straight at Safi, her thin brow raised dangerously.

Safi hummed to herself, biting down on her lip as she turned her back to the table and busied herself with the dishes, the water splashing up onto her shirt.

Harry reached across the kitchen, squeezing her shoulder gently, silently beaming with pride at the fact that she didn't just stalk across the house to slap Aunt Petunia across her horse face.

The next few minutes of aggressive dishwashing had Safi so absorbed in her own head that she barely heard Aunt Marge's stupid voice.

"What're you smirking at?!" Marge barked, practically baring her teeth like the most ruthless dog in the den.

Harry shook his head and shrugged, dismissing her as he handled a porcelain dish, scraping whatever bits of food were left onto a plate.

Marge however continued her rant.

"Where did you send the boy, Vernon?" she questioned, turning away from Ripper who whined lowly as his brandy was taken from him.

Vernon bristled quickly, before righting himself.

"St Brutus's. It's a fine institution for...hopeless causes" he lied, his great walrus moustache wobbling with his words.

Marge nodded, seemingly impressed.

"Do they use the cane at St Brutus's, boy?" she asked Harry with a pointed brow.

Harry paused mid dish scraping, and locked eyes with Vernon across the room who stared pointedly and nodded his head.

Harry stifled a snicker as Safi snorted under her breath.

"Oh yeah! Yeah, I've been beaten looaads of times" he answered, lathered with as much sarcasm as Dudley's toast is lathered with bacon fat.

Safi pinched her arms, trying so hard to stop her laughs from escaping her.

Aunt Marge accepted the answer, nodding happily, making Safi sick, but not surprised, that Aunt Marge relished the idea of Harry being caned.

"Excellent!" she crowed, turning back to the rest of the dinner party, "I won't have this namby-pamby wishy-washy nonsense about not beating people who deserve it" she crowed, waving her hands around animatedly.

"Ah but you mustn't blame yourself about how this one turned out—-"

As Marge continued, Safi physically choked on nothing, trying to conceal her ragged coughs as tears stung her. It was actually so horrible to laugh at what she said, because she was 100% fucking serious!

"—it's all to do with blood, bad blood will out! What is it the boy's father did, Petunia?"

Petunia flinched, daring not to miss a beat.

"N-nothing! He didn't work. He was unemployed" she lied, shaking lightly with the unbidden truth, her dirty little secret.

Beside her, Marge scoffed heartily.

Suddenly, a bad, jerky feeling brewed in the middle of Safi's chest, and she just knew that this night was the night that shit was going to well and truly hit the fan.

She seemed to know when something absolutely horrible was about to go down.

"And a drunk too no doubt—"

And there it was, flying straight into the fucking proverbial fan.

Harry didn't miss a beat, and frankly, Safi didn't blame him. Usually it was her who lashed out, but it seems tonight would be all about Harry.

"That's a lie" he stated, his voice tight and laced with a barely veiled threat.

Marge seemed absolutely taken aback, as if before now, no one had ever talked back to her.

"What did you say?" she dared asked.

Safi whirled around with lightening speed, her mind tugging at her, her brain feeling like it was growing, leaking out her ears.

Harry spun too, right around to stare Aunt Marge straight in her self righteous face.

"My dad wasn't a drunk!" he proclaimed fiercely, Safi would've been extremely proud if her head currently didn't feel like a nuclear testing site.

BAM

Gasps, screams and shrieks of all variations rang through the room as everyone saw Aunt Marge's glass seemingly implode in hand, glass splashing around her like a fountain spray.

Safi would've thought it was because of her, but her mind just seemed to scream that it was Harry.

She then turned back around to the sink, feeling very much like she was about to spew the house down. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on something, anything other than the tornado of noise raining in her head.

"What the fuck is going on?!" she thought.

Suddenly, she heard a yell.

"SHUTUP! SHUT. UP!" Harry cried, throwing down the hand towel full of glass.

And just like sunshine after rain, Safi's mind cleared, but the sick feeling remained, and an image niggled at her brain.

It was Aunt Marge.

And she was floating out the fucking back door.

She whirled around manically, turning to stand next to Harry, grabbing his hand and squeezing comfortingly as Aunt Marge smirked cruelly, like a villain who just cornered a hero.

The cold woman seemed so satisfied.

"Right" she cooed, raising a finger dangerously, "let me tell you—"

And as she trailed off, all attention turned to Marge's finger, or rather, her flesh balloon.

Safi's eyes blew open.

Did she just...see the fucking future?!

Oh no. Not again!

Vernon started squeaking sadly, as his sister started to bubble and burst at every seam, her clothes ripping, her stockings fraying, and the chair creaking beneath her.

It was only a few moments until she blew completely, and just as Safi had seen, she floated first to the roof, then bounced out the door and wafted straight to the sky, with Petunia, Vernon, and little Ripper trailing desperately after her.

Harry would've stood there all day, completely dumb-founded, if Safi hadn't yanked him backwards, through the hallway and up the stairs.

It was only until she slammed their bedroom door closed did Harry snap out of it.

"I just blew up Aunt Marge" he mumbled, his mouth smacking open and closed like the dumbest goldfish in the world.

"Get your fucking trunk! We need to leave, Harry. Pronto!" she pleaded, throwing open her trunk, shoving clothes in without a care for if it would even close at the end.

"I-I blew-I blew her up. Like a balloon. I just blew—"

Safi cut him off as she clapped her hands against either side of his face, staring him straight in his eyes.

"Harry! Please, focus. Yes that did just happen, she's floating around like a fucking flesh balloon, but you know what's worse?! My visions came back, Harry! I saw it happen!" she cried hysterically, her previous calm visage cracking completely.

Harry suddenly stopped, placing his hands either side of her face. Together they looked like two dumb teenagers who'd glued their hands to eachother's heads.

"Wait- they're back?! You saw it?! You should've stopped me!" he cried, suddenly dropping his hands and turning to his bed, lugging his trunk onto the bed to pour his worldly possessions into.

"I didn't think! I haven't had a vision for years! And the last one was of Ron crapping his pants after Fred hid a firecracker in his pillow case!" she screamed, slamming her trunk closed, hearing one of her damn potion vials crack.

Harry would've laughed at the memory if he wasn't so freaked out.

The two were so numb by that point that they grabbed what was left of their possessions, mounted their respectful animals safely, and bolted down the stairs.

Harry went first, and as expected, Vernon was at the bottom of the stairs, waiting.

His walrus faced was positively scarlet, his moustache wobbling with pure rage.

"You bring her back!" he screamed, thumping his fists threateningly, "you bring her back NOW! YOU PUT HER RIGHT!" he spat.

Harry bravely stood his ground.

"No! She deserved what she got!" he cried.

Vernon, at his wits end shoved forward, his hands poised to take Harry's throat in his hands, but Harry was ready, and Vernon slowly backed away with Harry's wand at his throat.

Safi pushed in front, throwing open the door.

"Keep away from us" Harry warned, pushing Vernon back away from himself.

Vernon just sneered as best he could, trying so hard not to look intimidated.

"You've nowhere to go!" he spat cruelly, his jowls flapping with red, hot anger.

"We don't care! Anywheres better than here" Harry answered.

Safi was watching carefully.

And thank Merlin too.

Because as Harry turned to exit the house, Vernon stalked forward, his great fist raised to pummel Harry straight into the ground.

So of course, Safi stalked forward, pushing Harry out the door, then she rushed straight at Vernon, and punched him square in the jaw. Both her fist and his jaw cracking with a resounding, sickening noise.

Safi bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, watching Vernon slid to the floor as Petunia and Dudley squealed in absolute terror.

Safi now felt a bit awkward, standing in the doorway with a broken fist and a passed out walrus, her brain was running wildly, trying to find something to say.

She settled for nothing, simply using her good hand to make a peace sign, then she picked up her trunk and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

~~~~~~~ now ~~~~~~~

"Hey now, I wasn't the one who made a balloon woman, okay?" Safi said, clutching her hand to her chest protectively, the knuckles black with bruises.

"And I'm not the one who punched Vernon's lights out!" he cackled, letting a whoop for joy, kicking his legs in the air.

Safi narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Wait? You're fucking happy? Harry, we're homeless" she said seriously, before happiness dawned on her.

"WE'RE HOMELESS!" she screamed aloud, her words echoing into the rainy night.

Safi and Harry spent the next twenty minutes laughing madly at everything that just transpired, before they found themselves at a small park that was glistening in the streetlight, absolutely slick with rain.

Harry sat down in the gutter, completely exhausted, leaning his head down on Safi's shoulder.

And as Safi leaned her head down on Harry's, the reality dawned on her.

They did, in fact, have nowhere else to go.

As whirls of sadness, confusion and utter relief flooded her all at once, she had completely zoned out.

Zoned out so much in fact that she almost didn't see the big black dog staring at her in the bushes across the street.

A small gasp left her, and she froze completely.

The dog simply stayed in the bushes, emerging only slightly.

The dog was completely black that she had to focus to make sure there was even a dog there, but even she could see from where she was that this dog was worse for wear, his breath as ragged as his coat, his front paw bent in pain.

She tilted her head, and the dog copied her movements, little barks coming out of him like laughter.

Safi chuckled too, and she tentatively held out her hand, the shiny bruises looking that much more harsh in the moonlight.

It seemed like the dog would have come to her, but instead, like a bolt of lighting, a purple bus pulled up right in front of her, seemingly out of thin air.

Safi flew backwards with a yelp, Harry falling forward as he was jolted awake.

Safi blinked once, twice, three times, and then chuckled.

In front of her was a triple decker bus, with a man lazily leaning against the entry, looking like he'd been doing the same boring job for a thousand years.

With a roll of his eyes, the bus attendant reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a dirty looking card that had the edges looking like they were bitten off.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard, my name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor for this evening" he droned, suddenly looking up from his card and frowning down at the pair of them.

"What you doin' down there?" he questioned, judging them with a wrinkle of his nose.

Safi and Harry shared a confused look.

"I fell over" Harry simply said.

Stan narrowed his eyes.

"What you fall over for?" he questioned again in his London brogue.

Harry scoffed, "I didn't do it on purpose!"

Stan just rolled his eyes, throwing his arm sideways as an invitation to board the bus.

"Well come on then! Let's not wait for the grass to grow" he sighed.

Harry and Stan droned on with talking, while Safi peeped her head around the end of the bus, looking back into the bushes, only to find the dog was gone.

"What you looking at?"

Safi jumped, coming face to face with Stan.

"Sadly I'm looking at your ugly mug" she snapped defensively, shoving past Stan to get straight into the bus.

Then she simply threw herself on the nearest bed, not even caring to think why there were beds on this bus, or even caring to notice the talking shrunken head.

She simply laid back down, and was immediately out like a light, all her problems, emotions and worries simply fading away to black.


	4. Sounds familiar

Safi paced back and forth erratically, she had been for a few hours, she had practically frayed a path down the middle of the hotel carpet.

She clutched her left elbow in her right hand, biting her nails which were very badly painted a bright yellow.

It had been a whole night since they got a lift on the night bus. A whole night since Marge went bouncing out of the house like a great big ball of spite and fat, up up up into the sky.

Safi had been woken up by Harry pushing her off the bed and sending her sprawling to the bus floor, which made her shriek, you don't know whose walked or even pissed in public transport, even if it is wizard.

But then they'd gotten inside, and Harry had been beckoned away by some Igor looking bloke, and Safi was sent to a dusty hotel room.

For the first few minutes, she was okay, still a bit groggy from her nap, her curls all askew from the sleep.

But slowly, like a leak in a roof, all the worst possible thoughts and realisations started crawling into her mind like spiders.

She shivered imperceptibly, goose bumps spraying across her skin as the real facts seeped into her brain.

The fact that they were without a home now and she had actually punched the lights out of her would-be guardian made her think that they were well and truly down the shit bucket.

Oh, and Harry totally blew up Aunt Marge.

Safi let out a hot breath as she bent over herself at the edge of the dodgy bed, her knees touching her throat, she could feel her heartbeat practically pushing against her thighs.

They were going to be expelled. Thrown out of Hogwarts like last weeks pumpkins.

They hadn't really ever had a home, but at least they'd had a house.

Even though they could definitely take care of themselves, they couldn't actually buy a house for themselves, that'd be totally illegal.

And they couldn't very well stay with the Weasleys, Dumbledore would never allow it, no matter how much Safi threatened him.

Her face was burning red but somehow it was completely numb, and she shot up from the edge of the bed, her hands automatically flinging up to clutch her head.

Oh Merlin's tits.

They were done for.

"We're done for" she whispered.

"Whaddya mean?" a voice lifted sweetly.

Safi twisted her torso around, still clutching her head and her gaze landed on the small face that was peaking through the door.

The blonde let go of her head, her curls bouncing out seemingly as excited as Safi now felt.

"Cherie!" she cried, flinging her arms madly as she bounded across the room, shouldering the door open and throwing herself on the skinny girl.

Cherie grinned her calm, gentle grin, wrapping her blue jumper-clad arms around her best friend.

"Missed you too, you big softie!" she said softly, squeezing her around the waist.

Cherie Calloway had been Safi's best mate since they both sat on the train to Hogwarts in first year.

Safi had chosen to sit next to the stick-thin girl with big dark eyes and long black curls, and found in her a gentle soul, more soft and pure than a fresh dawn of snow.

Ever since then they've shared countless nights of sobbing into each others shoulders, laughing loudly at some stupid thing, and probably attempting some really dumb and dangerous thing.

Then again, it was Safi doing something dumb, Cherie just watched, biting her nails in utter anxiety. But that didn't deter Cherie, she always absolutely loved Safi to bits.

People often gave Cherie a hard time. Being one of the only black girls in Hogwarts AND being a muggle born really put the odds against her.

So that's where Safi steps in, ready to throw fists as soon as someone so much as gives Cherie a wonky eye.

You could say it's an obvious 'opposites attract' friendship, but really it was more of a 'you stand close by and watch me do this dumb shit and support me doing this dumb shit and I'll adore you forever' type of friendship. And in reality, those are the best types of friendships.

"You bloody beautiful girl, where've you been all my life" Safi cooed dramatically, fanning her lashes at Cherie's amused face.

Cherie just chuckled and cross her tiny arms across her chest.

"I, unlike SOME people-" she enunciated, making Safi squirm guiltily, "have been keeping out of trouble" she finished, a manicured brow raised in mild disappointment.

Safi let out a huff before she gave an indifferent shrug.

"Look at this point you're going to have to be a lot more specific about what trouble I've been getting into" she laughed brightly, spinning and jumping onto the bed, sending plumes of dust billowing up to the roof, making her cough and gag with all the grace and poise of a sailor.

Cherie let out a girlie giggle as she reflexively flipped her cherry wood wand from her sleeve into her hand, mumbling an incantation that Safi probably forgot about or didn't bother to remember, and on command all the flying dust sucked itself into a great, rather disgusting whirlwind and furled itself out the window.

Safi sat back onto the bed on her elbows, an

impressed smirk on her face.

"Teachers pet" she teased as Cherie daintily crossed the room and sat on the edge of the now clean bed next to her.

Cherie had a small smile for a moment, before it slipped away, and her face grew somber and soft, like a concerned mother, or rather, a worried friend.

"Want to tell me what happened that suddenly means you're done for?" Cherie prodded nicely, sliding a comforting hand across the bed to Safi.

Safi mulled over her thoughts for a moment, before she slowly reached out and took the comforting hand, recanting the last few days, dramatically retelling every single detail, but not without a small hint of sadness and worry.

After all was said, Cherie sat back against the bed post and let out a small snort.

"She...blew up? Do you mean explosion or like a football?" she questioned, hiding her bright smile behind her hand.

Safi rolled her eyes.

"Football obviously, if it was an explosion we'd be having this conversation behind Azkaban bars" Safi joked loudly, but then she realised soon that no laugh was returned.

The room was quiet for a moment too long, just the sound of water dripping somewhere, and a creak from the room above.

It seemed like a normal silence, but Safi soon began to feel sick, the kind of sick that makes you want to be alone and crying your heart out in a corner.

And as Cherie's face creased in utter fear, Safi knew that nothing was funny anymore.

"Safi...you shouldn't joke about that" Cherie paused, a certain cold lull settling into the room, like someone just turned all sources of anything comforting and warm off. "Not after what's happened" she whispered coldly, a shiver passing through her.

Safi just stared at Cherie, not really knowing what to say, just wanting this horrible feeling to pass.

But it didn't pass, it didn't shake, and it slowly started to feel worse and worse, like a snaking wound around her gut, squeezing tightly.

She could barely even move her lips, barely even see through the pain her head was banging into her, her whole body was screaming.

"What do you mean?" Safi squeezed out, her eyes widening as the colder grew thicker and thicker in her heart.

For that moment, the whole world was cold, and dark, and for Safi, it was so terribly familiar.

But then it was gone, like a flickering flame.

And Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into the room.

"Saf? Are you okay?" Ron asked, his brow creased in concern, making his freckles look squashed on his long face.

Safi blinked once, twice, then she carefully placed a smirk on her face and relaxed her shoulders, the perfect facade.

"'Course I am, Ronniekins" she teased lightly, making Ron roll his eyes and everyone else in the room snicker.

Ron mumbled some weak insult under his breath before he turned away and walked out the door, his mangy pet rat in his hands whose name Safi had honestly forgotten.

"So what's the verdict, Potter?" Safi suddenly perked up, feeling the cold vice on her heart finally lift. "Are you going to be carted off and locked away?".

Harry shook his head, an almost dizzy look clouding his face.

"No, I'm not even expelled!" he cried happily, throwing himself onto the bed next to Safi and Cherie. "I can't believe it, I thought I was going to be executed on the spot".

Safi snorted, automatically throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"They're about likely as execute you as they are to free house elves" Cherie sighed, giving Harry a comforting pat on the back.

The three then sat in content silence, before Hermione cleared her throat.

"Mrs Weasley's made dinner. And Mr Weasley said he wanted to talk to you, Harry" she announced curtly, lifting a hand to stroke Crookshank's rather ugly, yellow fur.

Harry turned and exchanged a brief glance of concern with Safi, before he rose from the bed, giving her hand one last comforting squeeze.

Safi watched him exit the door, an uneasy feeling falling over her. But as quickly as it came, she shoved it down, deep inside her. She had enough to worry about, and an oncoming premonition wasn't something she needed to have right now.

Stupid mind powers.

The blonde bounced off the bed, landing lightly on the soles of her black boots, her curls swirling in the air as she pivots to the door.

She had nearly made it out the door, when Hermione nabbed onto the back of her yellow, wooden jumper, and pulled her back.

Hermione fixed her with a stern glare, and as it happens so did Crookshanks.

"Please tell me you're going to get the food rather than go and eavesdrop on whatever Mr Weasley is saying to Harry?" she questioned, her brow twitching in question.

Safi feigned shock, her hand raising to point to herself in mock question.

"Me? You accuse me? An innocent girl of eavesdropping?! Unthinkable!" she screamed dramatically, fixing Hermione with a shake of the head.

"I'm disappointed in your accusations" she finished, and as she walked out the door, walking a little too fast, she ignored Hermione's cries of protest and accusation as she walked straight to where she thought Harry and Arthur might be having their rather curious little conversation.

Two corridors, a wrong turn into a bathroom, and 5 empty rooms later, Safi heard the tell tale voices of none other than her would be brother and Mr Weasley, in the open area of the hotel dining room.

She slunk into the shadows, crouching down behind a wooden half wall, holding the wrist of her sleeve up to her mouth to smother her breathing, and she perked her ears towards them.

And slowly, the hushed voices drifted to her.

"...what do you know of Sirius Black, Harry?" Arthur whispered.

Suddenly, an invisible blow landed itself into Safi's heart, and it took all of strength for her not to launch herself over the bannister and shake Mr Weasley for more answers.

Black.

The name?

"Sirius..." Safi whispered to herself, her stomach started churning again, but this time it didn't feel like a premonition, it felt like...a memory. Something lost and far away...

"That he escaped from Azkaban, that he killed someone" Harry answered, giving out what little he actually did know studiously.

There was a pregnant pause then, as Safi heard shuffling feet, and she assumed that this conversation was rather hard for Arthur to make.

"Harry, thirteen years ago, when you stopped..." Arthur broke his words, Safi could practically feel the fear rushing from his words as he dare not speak his name.

But Harry didn't care about fear when it came to that murderers name.

"Voldemort" Harry answered strongly, and poignant pride rose in Safi's chest. She was always so proud of Harry as he took on his battle of the world, few others could.

There was another pause, before Arthur swallowed, continuing his point.

"Black lost everything—-"

Then, Safi's mind flew open, like a new door had been opened in her mind, and a small flash sparked behind her eyes.

A memory.

A memory that came so close but she couldn't quite reach, just brimming on the edge of her mind, and she had to bite down on her cheek to keep herself from screaming. A pounding of familiarity drumming in her mind.

"—-but he remains a loyal servant to this day. In his mind, only you stand in the way of..."

Again, Arthur paused, the fear in his voice obvious.

"You know who...returning to power. And that is why, he's escaped from Azkaban. To find you..." he finished grimly, his breath coming out almost ragged and chaste.

Fear then found itself into Safi's heart.

Harry.

He was coming after Harry.

Two parts of her body seemed to be screaming inside of her, and for some reason, she just felt, she didn't know why, that Mr Weasley was completely wrong.

But what she heard plain as day was that a murderer was coming after Harry.

And that meant she had to be ready.

Now she really felt like she was going to vomit.

She crept as quickly as she could away from everyone, running down random hallways and through any door that would open, until she found herself crouching in the corner on a stony, cold balcony, overlooking the evening sky and Diagon Alley below.

It was moments like these when she found herself alone that it really dawned on her how cruel the world could be.

She was an orphan, and orphan with an orphan brother who was constantly trying to be killed.

They were only children, and yet Harry seemed to be the one everyone in the world relied upon to save them all.

And she seemed to be the one to save Harry.

Was anyone going to save her?

"Safi?"

Safi's heart seized in her chest as she jumped up onto her feet, and as her arms flung up she hit her hand brutally on the iron bars of the balcony, which made her cry out.

"Fuck!" she yelled, clutching her hand to her chest, as she slowly looked up to the door, and very quickly realised she was face to face with none other than George Weasley.

But wait—-

Something was different?

She looked him up and down very slowly, the pain of her hand forgotten, and for a moment, so were her dark thoughts.

She opened her mouth to say something to him, but she couldn't find the words.

George Weasley was just too hot at this moment.

The last time she had seen him was at the end of last term, and he was a gangly, short haired nerd, and they were laughing madly as the threw toilet paper at Professor Qyburn because he failed Safi on her final paper.

But standing before her was a long haired, impossibly tall boy, with a soul crushing smirk and a toned body to die for.

She soon realised that as she had been gawking openly, that George was laughing madly at her.

"See something good? I've never seen you stare this hard since we found that bloody Marauders map" he joked easily, a cheeky grin splitting his stupidly hot face.

Safi righted herself and let out a scoff, leaning against the bars of the balcony with a raised brow.

"Okay, Captain Charisma, at least I didn't nearly have a heart attack when Katie Bell wore short shorts to the Black Lake picnic trip" she retorted.

George tilted his head back and guffawed loudly, which made Safi smile even wider.

"Bollocks! You were the one that suggested she wear the shorts that day, you were having as much a gander as I was" he laughed.

"Merlin his laugh sounds good" Safi thought to herself, before she shook her head violently and nodded slowly.

"Touché" she admitted, raising her hands in surrender.

George then leaned across the tiny balcony, his long legs crossing over so he was comfortable and he smiled sweetly at her.

"So why were you crying?" he finally asked gently, resting his hand on the bars next to hers.

Safi almost shivered at the minuscule contact, before she retracted her hand, folding them across her chest defensively.

"I wasn't" she said dumbly.

Safi thought he might then joke with her, but he didn't, he just kept staring into her eyes, his face looking so comforting.

"Saf..." he whispered, resting his head against her. "You don't have to be so strong all the time, you know, no one is asking you to" he said, impossibly softly.

"Yes they are" she whispered back, her eyes downcast for a moment, but she sniffled, cleared her throat and stood up, making George's head fall back.

Safi walked to the door, an easy smirk resting on her face.

"C'mon ugly, lets go wreak havoc or something" she demanded, winking at him jokingly.

George stared at her for a few more moments in silence, before he finally decided to drop the moment, and smiled lightly, reaching down to grip her hand softly in his.

"If that's what you want, Saf" he said quietly, staring into her eyes as he craned his head.

Safi sucked in a breath, freezing at the sudden contact, and she almost started crying again, before she broke out into light giggles.

"That's exactly what I want, Georgie".


	5. Sorry about that

It had only been 10 and a half hours into the day, 2 hours that Safi had been awake, 2 minutes since her last coffee, and yet she had already been massively pissed off 7 times.

The first time of the day was because someone had let loose a horde of gnomes into the hotel, and one had done a flying pirouette and a, admittedly, rather dainty somersault straight into Safi's chest, effectively knocking the wind out of the poor girl AND taking the time to bite a hole in her Hogwarts robes.

The second time was getting to platform 9 and 3/4 and she attempted to smile at a little muggle girl, who proceed to stick out her tongue at her and trod on Safi's toes instead. Safi had to be held back by no less than three of her friends to stop her from beating the little brat.

The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth times all belong to Ron Weasley because he politely pointed out that she'd gotten even more fat than she usually was over the holidays. This time, no one held her back from beating him.

And the last time, so far, was because Harry James "I'm a bitch ass" Potter didn't tell her what Mr Weasley had told him about Sirius Black.

She had waited and waited all day.

And he said nothing.

Weird thing is, he didn't even say a 'good morning', not so much as a 'how do you do?'.

The bastard.

Harry had always ALWAYS confided everything in Safi.

Safi had always been there to listen. From the time he first got bullied in school, to his first crush, to the time he saw the mirror of Erised, and of course that time he started hearing voices, even though that turned out to be that big fuck off snake.

But it didn't matter, because he always knew Safi was there, and he always knew she would listen.

So why in all of fuck wasn't Harry telling her that he was being stalked by a serial killer?!

Doesn't matter she eavesdropped and knew anyway. Point is that he didn't tell her. He always told. So what the hell is up.

"You alright, Saf? You look like someone pissed in your porridge" Lee Jordan smartly commented, slotting his trunk into the compartment above her head, his dark eyes twinkling at her.

Safi huffed, blowing a blonde curl out of her face as she gazed out the train window.

"Pissed is right" she groaned hotly, folding her arms which made her uniform crinkle. "But don't worry 'bout me, Jordy. Worry about your dumb ass haircut" she snickered.

Lee's hands immediately flew to his head, which was almost completely shaved, he rubbed it self consciously.

"It's not dumb, it's dapper" he muttered under his breath, turning to sit down on the seat opposite her as Cherie, Fred, and George all filed into the compartment.

"Soooo" Fred suddenly perked up, spinning dramatically and sitting down with a flourish next to Safi, draping his arm across her shoulders. "Heard you have the hots for my brother".

Safi blanked, but her insides were actually doing a gymnastics routine and simultaneously vomiting. Good thing she had the best poker face in Hogwarts.

"That's not true. You all know that I'm actually in love with Ginny, the only Weasley child that actually has some charm going for her, the hot bitch" she smirked with an easy chuckle.

And as if on cue, Ginny popped her head through the compartment doors, gave a generous wink and disappeared again.

Fred and George screamed, as Safi guffawed loudly, Lee laughing madly, and Cherie rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I got gaaaaame" Safi snickered, winking brightly to no one in particular, reclining in the seat so she rested on George and lay her legs across Fred's lap.

The 5 friends fell into a slew of laughs, jokes, occasional punching and/or wand jousting, and maybe once or twice some chocolate frog eating competitions. Safi won.

It had been a few hours, and the mood was light and happy.

Until the train stopped.

Safi, right in the middle of reaching up to her trunk to get out a new pack of exploding snap, was thrown backward, right into Lee's lap, her shriek reverberating through the crowded cabin as she launched herself off of Lee.

Safi righted herself, immediately getting the sick feeling inside herself like countless times before, and suddenly, the room felt all too dark.

"Why's the train stopped?" Fred asked aloud, moving immediately to the door and peaking his head out, looking both ways before he closed the door behind him.

"Is there something on the tracks maybe?" Lee queried, a smile trying to form on his usually amused face. But they really all did start to feel it in that moment. Like a cold hand creeping it's way to your throat.

"No..." Cherie suddenly whispered. "Nothing on the tracks". Then she turned her face from the window, her dark eyes wide, and in that moment Safi felt like she felt the fear of a thousand people, and she swallowed thickly. "But there's something outside".

Abruptly, the train shook again, making everyone tumble, but Safi managed to stand her ground, rooting herself in front of her friends.

Safi breathed heavily, her heart thumping like a sickening drum, and then she started to feel it, the freezing cold, like a vice around her heart she felt it take hold.

"Safi..." Cherie muttered, her poor teeth chattering loudly.

Safi reached behind her and grasped Cherie's outstretched hand, squeezing gently before she dropped it, and steeled her body directly in front of the compartment door.

All that was heard now, was a cold wind whistling through the train, down the corridors, and into their cabin.

Safi didn't see anything at first, she could barely see anything as the lights went out, but she could just make out anything in the darkness.

But then, it all appeared.

It was like a giant cloaked figure, a looming being made of only the darkest things that hides in the depths of this world.

It floated forward, Safi could just see it stop in front of the cabin door, she held her breath tightly, and the locked clicked open.

Every thing inside of her wanted to scream loudly and kick and scream and run.

But she didn't.

She wanted to turn away from the dark presence as it slowly opened the compartment door.

But she didn't.

She wanted to cry as it turned its monsterous face towards her, like a black hole surrounded in death.

But she didn't.

What she did do, was stand her ground, face the creature, because somehow she just knew that there was nothing else she could do to protect her friends, only to get in its way.

But in that horrific moment as the figure reached out to her, bowing its head to hers, she felt like all her mind and soul were being suffocated.

She tried to let out a scream, but it was never heard.

The seconds felt like years, as this thing drained the very core of her being.

But then, like a light being flicked to life in the darkness...

It happened.

The creature suddenly reared its head, it's body bending backwards with a sickening crack, shadows seemingly freezing stuck around it, a sharp howl pierced the ears of everyone on the train and the figure cracked.

Safi finally let out a scream, and this time, it was heard. It was heard by the cloaked figure.

A light seemed to pierce its blackness, and it shattered.

The creature shattered from the inside out and fell about, like scattering shadows. Like someone took a flaming sword to its blackened soul.

Then, all was still.

And Safi stood there in front of it, let out a small chuckle, and fell to the ground, passed out.

* * *

"...sonofa..."

"What was that?"

"She spoke! She's alive!"

"Shutup, Ron! Safi, what're you saying?"

Safi blinked her eyes open, the bright light piercing her eyes and making her dizzy.

She slowly lifted her head, then sat herself up.

"I said..." she breathed heavily, "son of a CUNT WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT" she screamed, clutching her head like she had the worst hangover.

The crowd gathered around her sighed in relief.

"She's fine" Harry smiled in relief, moving forward from behind Ron and Hermione to kneel on the cabin floor, reaching out to hold her hand.

Safi smacked her lips.

"Did I drink? Fred did you dare me to chug fire whiskey again?" she asked, rubbing her eyes bleakly.

Slowly, she stood herself up, leaning greatly against Harry who couldn't stop smiling in relief at the fact that she wasn't dead.

But then as Safi opened her eyes, she realised everyone else in the cabin was looking at her with a mix of confusion, worry, and downright fear.

"What?" She questioned dumbly, reaching up to smooth down her hair, "is there something on my face?".

"You don't remember?" George suddenly perked up, his eyes glazed over as he gazed at her.

Safi narrowed her eyes.

"Remember? Remember what?".

"You...you killed a dementor" Hermione answered, and everyone in the vicinity bristled coldly.

"I What now?" Safi mumbled, still clutching her head.

And then, it all flooded back, and she nearly threw up on Harry at the memory of everything that just transpired.

"You killed it! They were coming into the train and they were inspecting the cabins and I guess it came up to you and started kissing you but then you—-"

Safi held up her hand, stopping Ron's rambling as she flapped her mouth open and shut.

"Kissing?! That thing kissed me?!" She cried, slapping a hand to her forehead as she slid down the cabin wall and seated herself to the floor.

"Safi" Cherie suddenly voiced softly, sitting down next to her. "Thing is, no ones ever killed a dementor, and well, you made it explode" she filled in bluntly, her lips curled in leftover fear.

Safi frowned.

"What even is a dementor?!" she asked erratically.

For a moment, everyone was quiet, only the gentle chugging of the train was heard. But then a tall man emerged from the door, and he lifted his voice.

"A dementor is basically the security of the ministry" he stated matter of factly.

Safi turned her head at the new voice, and came face to face with someone she's sure she's seen before.

He was an older man, with straw coloured hair, soft yet oddly sad eyes, and scars about as common as freckles running all along his face.

And when he looked into Safi's eyes, he seemed almost desolate.

"Rather nasty creatures, but they're good for their job, which is finding escaped criminals" he continued, pushing through the small crowd to Safi.

He knelt down in front of her, placing the back of his hand gently to her forehead, then with his other hand, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gigantic bar of chocolate.

"Eat, you'll feel better. It helps after dementor attacks" he explained, then as he pulled away his hand from her head, he turned to the crowd and began waving them away.

"Give her some space, we're nearly at Hogwarts anyway" he told them, turning back to her as they filed out the door, all looking back to her with worried faces.

Harry was the last to leave, and he smiled at her lovingly, waving gently as he slid the cabin door shut behind him.

But Safi was left reeling.

"They're joking right?" Safi asked, biting into the sweet chocolate. "I didn't actually...kill that thing?".

The man looked down at the floor, refusing to meet her gaze for some reason.

"We don't know what actually happened yet. But for all intents and purposes, yes, you did kill that dementor. Something which everyone thought was impossible" he affirmed, with something almost akin to a laugh at the end.

Safi would've laughed too, if she didn't feel like a tonne of bricks had just been pounded through her.

She tried again to meet his eyes, but it seemed he was trying his absolute hardest to do anything but.

A gentle silence filled the space, as Safi studied the mans face. Achingly familiar. And she didn't even know his name.

"I'm Safi, by the way. Safi Psoft" she introduced, offering her hand out to him.

The man looked down at it, and with such an impossibly tired smile he shook it, and Safi quietly admired the silver scars that framed his hands.

He was quiet however, and as Safi waited to hear his name, she realised she somehow already knew it.

Remus.

His name was Remus.

Remus finally looked up, and locked his eyes with hers, and looked about as broken and scarred on the inside as he did out.

"I know" he said, and with that, he abruptly stood up, turned away and walked out, the door sliding shut behind him.

Safi sat stunned for a few minutes, her mind reeling and her brain itching.

"He knows?" she whispered to herself, wiping the chocolate crumbs from her uniform.

And then, very quietly, a voice inside her whispered back.

"And you know him too".

Suddenly, the train whistle blew, effectively knocking her out of her reverie, and she painfully stood, rubbing her head.

She blew out a huffing breath, as the feeling grew inside her, that this was going to be a hell of a year.


	6. Hey mum

"Sooo...lemme get this straight" Safi drawled, leaning her head on the great hall table, making sure her hair wasn't accidentally dipping into the eggs, "Professor 'give-you-chocolate' Lupin is our new DADA teacher, Hagrid is our new care o' creatures Professor, which I think will be absolutely smashing!" she continued, then she lifted her head with a tired yawn, "and that dark ass creature I totally killed are totally going to be patrolling the grounds?".

Cherie stared at her from across the table, giving her a tired look as she straightened her black and yellow tie.

"Yeah that about sums it up" she concluded, reaching across the table to steal a piece of bacon from Safi's plate.

Safi didn't even bother to slap her hand away as she had barely gotten any sleep that night.

Her dreams had been recently plagued with figures of shadows and death. Dementors crawling into every thought. Around every corner and in every doorway of Hogwarts she saw one. She knew she was being irrationally paranoid, but you cannot ever really escape your mind. Try sleeping when all you remember is the soul sucking kiss of death itself.

Safi just sighed, trying to shove her thoughts away, and she lifted a hand to rub at her eyes.

"What classes do we have today?" she asked Cherie, shoving her plate of uneaten food out of the way, leaning her elbows in the cleared space.

Cherie's eyes creased at the corners, and Safi knew she wanted to say more, to say something comforting, to get to the bottom of what was bothering her best friend. But she didn't.

"We have divination first up, we'll be with Gryffindor so you can talk to Harry" Cherie answered dubiously.

Safi was the one now who's eyes creased.

"Why do I need to talk to Harry?" she asked, rising from the wooden bench, slinging her canvas book bag over her shoulder.

Cherie rolled her eyes, rising as well.

"You know you talk in your sleep right? Hannah Abbott had to come in from the year aboves' rooms and I had to stop her from smothering you to death, you were as loud as the ghoul in the Weasley attic!" she giggled lightly, moving in step with her towards their classroom.

Safi snorted back a laugh, shouldering past a sea of students all scrambling to get about their own days.

"But why does that mean I need to talk to Harry?" Safi asked again.

"Because in your sleep you mumbled 'Fuck Harry that secret keeping bastard how dare he not tell me, such a ponce hope he gets bitten by a gnome'" Cherie retold, snickering madly into her hand.

Safi threw her head back as laughs erupted her, making many students turn and glare wildly at the mad girl.

After a moment, Safi wiped a tear from her eye, flicking it away dramatically.

"Yeah that sounds like me" Safi snickered, turning to stare daggers at a Ravenclaw girl who was sneering at her across the hall.

"My point IS-" Cherie continued with a raised brow, "-that you obviously need to sort things out, especially if the things needing to be sorted are with your brother".

Safi nodded slowly, pursing her lips with a sigh.

"I know you're right, you're always right, but the thing is—wait a minute" Safi suddenly paused, placing a hand on her chest and stopping dead in her tracks.

Cherie narrowed her eyes in confusion, before she followed Safi's gaze, to the snaking ladder before them, that lifted all the way up to a trap door about 9 metres in the air.

"The ladder? What about it?" Cherie questioned, turning to her best friend.

Safi guffawed, flapping her hands wildly and gesturing to herself.

"Me big girl-" she said, pointing out her curves, then she pointed to the ladder, "that skinny ladder".

Cherie rolled her eyes and huffed.

"I'm sure the ladder can handle your sheer amount of gorgeousness and beauty, now come on, it's divination time!" Cherie called behind her, already climbing up the ladder to the classroom.

Safi let out a whine, but nonetheless slowly began to climb, using her free hand to clutch her skirt so no one got a surprise view.

And before she knew it, she was in the classroom.

And before she knew that, there was an erratic, frizzy haired woman all up in her face.

Safi shrieked shrilly, flailing backwards, nearly falling straight down the ladder hole, but she righted herself just in time. And by righting herself, she actually instead fell straight into a rickety bookshelf full of teacups, making for a great orchestra of sound that shook the whole classroom and turned every single head.

After a few blinks and deep breaths, Safi realised that it wasn't a hairy troll that invaded her space, it was none other than the crazy ass divination teacher herself, Sybil Trelawney.

"Merlin's tits, Professor!" Safi shouted, pushing herself up from the ground, avoiding all the broken pieces of teacups that surrounded her like angry confetti.

But Sybil didn't hear or, or maybe she chose not to, who really knows what the bloody hell is going on in that woman's mind. Instead, she continued on her mad rant.

"It's you, my dear!" Sybil cried erratically, her eyes wide and twitchy. "You're the protecter! The prophetess! The one whose blood belongs to the stars!" she continued, turning to throw her hands up to the roof of the classroom.

Safi blinked, hissing as she rubbed her newly bruised elbows.

"Yeah that's cool, blood- stars, gotcha honey" Safi winced, turning to take her seat, or actually the furthest seat from Sybil.

But Sybil followed- or rather- scurried, slamming her palms either side of Safi's face, squishing her cheeks.

"It's your gift!" Sybil cried, smooshing Safi's face. "You're a seer!".

Now Safi was paying attention, and she started to get nervous, feeling the eyes of every student pierce her back.

Safi's mind scrambled for something to say as Sybil kept ahold of her face.

But then, Sybil dropped her hands, and a frown that would make Severus Snape jealous took over the erratic witches face.

"How dare you come to my class, claiming to be a better seer than I! Leave! Leave and never come back!" The Professor decreed with a flick of the wrist, her many shiny bangles whipping and jingling together.

Safi's jaw dropped, and she began to splutter madly.

"But- but I didn't—" Safi tried, but Sybil held up her hand, efffectively silencing Safi.

The poor girl just stood there in the classroom, turning quickly to look to Harry, Ron and Cherie, who all just shrugged, giving confused looks and sympathetic smiles.

Safi then scoffed, turning to Sybil who was still frowning down at her, so Safi flipped her off, relishing in the horrified gasp and her absurdly wide eyes.

Safi had nearly made it to the trap door before Sybil finally called out.

"DETENTION!".

* * *

Safi hunched over in her desk, thinking her head against the wood over and over again.

Neville leaned forward from the desk behind her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Saf? Are you feeling okay? I can take you to Madam Pomfrey if you're not" he offered sweetly, smiling his usual goofy smile.

Safi thunked her head down again, this time rattling the cauldron and crystal vials that were aligned on her desk.

"That depends, Nev. Does she have a potion that will stab me in the brain?" Safi scoffed, slamming her head back down again.

Neville's brows furrowed, and he slid from his desk to sit next to her, sliding gently into his stool.

"Instead of a brain stabbing potion, would you like to hear something cool?" he asked, a smile reforming on his baby face.

Safi turned her head slightly, peaking through her abundant curls up at him, and slowly, she started to smile.

"I'd love to" she said with a grin.

Immediately, Neville's face lit up, and he turned his body to face her completely and his hands lifted excitedly.

"Okay! So this Summer, my gran got me a new book on plants from Norway. I didn't think much of it at first, but I thought I'd read it anyway because any book on plants can't be too bad right?" he rambled quickly, the smile never leaving his face.

Safi glanced sideways, before she began nodding assuredly.

"Yeah of course, can't be too bad" she answered, rather unsure of herself. Because if she was honest, she rather hated reading. Probably why she was failing half of her classes.

Neville nodded, his forehead curl bouncing against his head.

"Right?! So I was reading about this one plant that the Vikings used, and it's called—"

"Mr Longbottom..." Snape suddenly called, his voice about as comforting as a bowl of frozen worms.

Neville's head snapped fearfully towards the brooding potions Professor, and Safi felt the stool shake beneath the poor boy.

"S-sorry, Professor Snape" Neville stammered meekly, ducking his head as he scrambled backwards off the stool and towards his original seat.

Snape glared at Neville the whole time, and when he finally fell into his seat with a quiver, the bastard had the audacity to smirk.

Snape turned back to the blackboard, his black cape swirling as he went.

"As I was about to say...today we will begin brewing—"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Safi lamented, completely and absolutely done.

The whole classroom went still, and was so quiet you could hear a pixie fart.

Snape cocked his head, and turned as slowly as a cool glacier, to glare straight at Safi.

"What...did you just say?" he dared question, steeping his hands dangerously in front of him.

Safi scoffed loudly, mocking steeping her own hands in front of her.

"I said, and I quote, 'are you fucking kidding me', Professor" she repeated, sneering at him from her desk.

Snape suddenly billowed forward, and slammed his hands down on the desk in front of her.

"How dare you think you can say these things to me" he spat, his pale face almost began shaking with anger.

Safi smirked madly, and she slowly rose from her seat.

"How dare you interrupt my conversations" she bit back, shaking her head towards Neville, who watched on in rapt admiration and equal parts fear.

Snape glared into her eyes, and flickers of anger welled deeply within him. And Safi felt for a moment that this seething action had been going on with Snape for years and years.

Snape and Safi had been a rather entertainingly and also seriously dangerous saga that had started since the first day Safi walked into the classroom and she made the comment that all the potion masters in the world couldn't fix his hair. Snape had heard. And Snape had screamed his throat raw.

But it was more than petty and enormously witty comments, for Snape it seemed that his hatred of Safi ran deeper. All Safi had to do was breath and Hufflepuff was drained of house points.

Safi felt like deep inside her she knew why Snape was so angry at her, in fact she felt like she knew why he was angry all the time. But she didn't know. At least not yet.

For now all she knew is that she hated him right back, and for all the shit he did not only to her but to every single child in Hogwarts, well she just damn right has the time to make life all the more difficult for this jumped up prick.

"Get out" Snape snapped, flinging his arm towards the door.

Safi snorted in his face, kicking her stool backwards with a cringing screech, and she strutted towards the door.

"I'll be careful not to slip on your hair grease on the way out" she called behind her seedily.

She had stepped one foot out the door, before Snape called out one last time.

"DETENTION!".

* * *

Safi held her stomach as she leaned against the dining hall wall, feeling the manic rumbling bellow through her.

George tutted quietly beside her, leaning lazily next to her with his hands in his pockets.

"Skipping meals is a nasty habit, Saf. You might waste away if you're not careful" he chided jokingly.

Safi snorted loudly, her head falling sadly as she looked down at herself, frowning in disdain at her chubby body.

"It'd take more than a few missed breakfasts for me to waste away" she joked sadly, poking herself in the stomach repeatedly.

George gasped loudly, grabbing her hand, stopping her from poking herself and he squeezed it lightly.

"Don't say that shit, Saf. You're drop dead gorgeous. And in my opinion, curvy girls are—" he paused to let out a loud and raucous growl.

Safi giggled madly, jabbing him in the ribs with her free hand, as he laughed along with her, holding her hand, refusing to let go.

"Shove off, you ponce" Safi grinned, a small blush peaking out against her cheeks, like an unbidden sunrise.

George smiled with her, and he raised her captured hand, and bend it upwards, and pressed a feather light kiss to the inside of her wrist.

Safi sucked in a low breath, and she froze, caught in the moment of staring up at him in complete shock, before she came to, and she ripped her hand out of his, rather nastily, and rushed away, wading through the sea of rushing students just as the school bell rang and bolted out of the hall and up the switching staircases, stopping only when she skidded to a completely ungraceful halt into Cherie.

Cherie let out a gentle ooft as Safi collided with her, but she just let out a gentle giggle, and watched as the blonde girl moved her head fervently and glanced nervously at the door she just entered.

"Who're you running from, Saf?" Cherie questioned, staring down at her with a stifled chuckle.

Safi then bolted upright, blinking rapidly with wide eyes.

She didn't answer, just shaking her head madly and turning towards the front of the classroom, where she suddenly frowned.

"Where's the Professor?" she called out dubiously.

"I'm late, Safi. And technically, so were you" called Remus, coming in from the doorway, looking amused and also mildly disheveled, kind of like he'd slept badly in a broom closet.

"We both better not let McGonagall catch us then, we'll be in detention for weeks" Safi joked, sliding towards the front of the classroom.

Remus chuckled, smoothing the sleeves of his jacket down his arms as he arrived at the front of the class and turned to address them.

"I'm fairly sure you're in detention for weeks already, Miss Psoft" Remus quipped with a wolffish grin.

Safi grinned back at him as snickers resounded throughout the classroom.

Remus then clapped his hands, and he began to slowly walk around the classroom, silently demanding the attention of every student present.

"Now, this is a bit of a special occasion" he voiced, smiling at everyone. "I haven't yet taught your year, and I'm quite happy to say I've got the two houses of which I know will behave best with eachother" he chuckled.

It was actually true. Safi looked around at the sea of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students and nodded to herself, but then she grew a wicked grin. Because Safi didn't behave best with anyone.

"...more or less..." Remus muttered quietly, stealing a quick glance at Safi, which made her smirk proudly. Seems her reputation got round to even the newest of teachers, and this felt like her greatest achievement since she punched Marcus Flint so hard his tooth chipped and he couldn't speak for a month.

"Anyway! Today we shall be learning about something rather special, and something that I feel will make your very soul shake..." Remus called out mysteriously, levelling his cool gaze away from the class and straight to the creepy, brooding wardrobe in the centre of the classroom.

Gentle gasps and shivers suddenly swept through the group of students, and the Ravenclaws began to titter to themselves about what it would possibly be. Then, the chatter stopped.

"Is there a boggart in there sir? A real one?" a Ravenclaw student perked up, his eyes wide and curious.

Remus smiled approvingly.

"That it is Mr Thomas. A real, live boggart, before your very eyes" he announced, tapping the end of his wand to the right door of the wardrobe, which made the hole wardrobe shake and shutter from the inside, and Safi realised it was that thing inside trying to break out.

"Can anyone tell me a bit about what a boggart is?" Remus called again, looking around the classroom.

Cherie put her hand up carefully, and Remus nodded to her, thankful for her genuine respect.

"It's a shapeshifter, but not just that. It changes into your worst nightmare, your deepest fear..." Cherie answered coldly, a quiver passing through her as she carefully eyed the clanking, creaking wardrobe.

Remus nodded happily.

"Very good, Miss Calloway!" he adorned, smiling toward her as she beamed happily back.

"Now, the protective spell we will be learning will save you from any chance meeting you have against a boggart. Now if you'll repeat after me- riddikulus" he enunciated carefully.

The class chanted back and forth with Remus a few times, until he smiled approvingly.

"Very good! Now if you'll all form a line please! And do remember, the last thing that finishes a boggart off is a hearty round of greedy laughter" he recalled, observing the class smoosh itself into a deformed line, eagerly awaiting their due turn.

Now usually, when it came to defence against the dark arts, Safi was eager and willing, one of the only classes she actually tried, and did well in.

But not this time.

She couldn't.

Because she knew just what would appear if she went up to that boggart.

So she hid, moving straight to the back of the line, as quietly and sneakily as possible. And to make extra sure she wouldn't have to face that haunting creature, she charmed Daisy Copping's shoes to glue themselves to the floor. She knew that would take up some time. Just enough time for class to end.

And end it did. And just as she was about to step out the door, she was gently yanked back into the classroom by the scruff of her robes, and she was faced with the raised brow and disapproving glare of Remus Lupin.

"Was my teaching that bad?" he asked with a badly hidden grin.

Safi blinked blankly, and she was scrambling for a thing to say.

"Wha?" she settled on, making Remus chuckle.

"Was my teaching that bad that you refused to take part in the class?" he clarified, moving to lean against the nearest desk as he folded his arms.

Safi stilled, biting the inside of her cheek and jumping slightly from foot to foot.

The room was silent for a few moments, a few moments too long.

Remus bowed his head, assuming he wouldn't get an answer, when Safi suddenly blurted out.

"I can't face it" she said meekly, feeling very ashamed to admit she was scared of something, especially to a defence teacher.

Remus slowly looked to her, and his brown eyes began to soften, and Safi swore she saw an unbidden amount of paining hiding just behind his tired eyes.

"What if I promise to show you something, something that will make you feel braver than the whole world" he offered, searching her face carefully.

Safi was taken aback, and she raised her brows in question.

But Remus didn't say anything else just smiled at her.

"But if you can't, there's no shame in—"

Remus had begun to say, but Safi sauntered forward, flicked her wand from her sleeve and into her hand in one fell swoop, flung her arm forward and aimed the wand at the wardrobe.

She was ready.

And with a deft click, the wardrobe flung open, and gently poised inside, sitting inanely, was a white and blue china vase.

The breath then seized in Safi's throat, and she winced, her wand teetering slightly in her hand.

The blood then started to pound in her ears, and the wand nearly slipped from her grip as her palms were slick and clammy.

But you know what she did?

The Hufflepuff girl breathed deep, and steeled her soul.

"Riddikulus!" she screamed, flinging her wand in the correct motion.

A bolt of magic flew from the top of her wand and headed straight for the ominous china vase, and it then began to sag and gloop like a weird slime, until it had melted into a neat, blue puddle in the middle of the classroom.

Remus, flicked his wand too, making the melted vase fly back into the wardrobe and clunk shut with a sullen house. The Professor then turned to her, and try as he might, he couldn't help but wonder why the girl who was known to beat up bullies twice her size, had a simple china vase for her worst fear.

"That vase..." Safi breathed heavily, her eyes sunken and withdrawn, "it was Petunia's. It was her favourite vase, she loved it more than she loved her garden, or her Sunday hat..." she tampered off quietly, glancing at Remus, who nodded encouragement to her with a soft smile.

"One day, when I was out, I was probably doing shopping for the Dursley's, or stealing something for Harry- I don't really remember. But when I came home...that vase...was being smashed over Harry's head..."

Remus sucked in a tight breath, and his soft smile turned hard and enraged.

"It was the one time...the one time I wasn't there to protect him, and he got hurt, because I wasn't there" Safi whispered as she hastily rubbed at her eyes, making sure no tears spilled forward.

Remus then silently strode forward, reached his desk, pulled open a small drawer, retrieved a small package, and just as silently placed an old photograph in Safi's hands.

And her eyes flew open.

"Is that...my mum?".

Staring back at Safi, was her mother. She was smiling brightly back at her, the wind blowing her hair which had a few white flowers braided into it. The photograph kept replaying the moment in time, and Safi felt like if she stared at her mother in this photo for eternity that it wouldn't be enough.

Safi knew nothing about her mother, just her name; Lorna.

And now Lorna Psoft, her mother, was smiling up at her, and Safi's heart swelled.

She let out a heart wrenching sob, and just looked up at Remus with tears in her grey eyes.

"You're right" she cried, "I do feel braver than the whole world".

Then she silently turned away, clutching the photograph, a million questions on her lips, but they could wait. Everything could wait.

She can now see her mother, if only frozen for a moment in time.


	7. He lied

"...but the question still remains, can you successfully mate a gnome and a giant?" Fred suggested with a shrug. "The mystery is unsolved".

Safi, George, Lee, and Hermione all just stared blankly at the tall redhead in completely disappointed silence. Right up until Safi knocked him playfully against the head with her hand.

"Please refrain from ever saying words again, Freddie dear" Safi begged, dodging his slap that was coming straight for her with a snortful laugh.

"Fuck you, Psoft!" Fred yelled, pulling his awkwardly knitted beanie down over his eyebrows.

Safi lifted her hand up, lifting her middle finger crudely.

"Fuck ya too" she laughed loudly, and she kept cackling in the cold morning air until she felt a looming presence come up behind her and titter disapprovingly.

"I'd prefer it if you chose more eloquent words, Miss Psoft" McGonagall reprimanded sternly, but with a rather light twinkle sneaking out from her cat-like eyes.

Safi turned around to meet the Professors eyes and she, without missing a goddamn beat, raised her lips in an easy and wolffish smirk.

"I save all my eloquent words for you, Minnie" Safi purred, giving a majestic wink which made the wizened witch roll her eyes.

"I do hope you're not trying to sneak into the Hogsmeade trip. Not again..." McGonagall huffed, raising a dainty brow in carefully placed suspicion.

Safi opened her mouth to laugh, but as of on cue, Harry came barreling out of the school and straight to McGonagall, Hogsmeade formed clenched in hand, and the bastard completely ignored Safi.

But then, as Harry opened his mouth, clearly about to beg McGonagall to sign the form, she turned away from him to address the bustling group of students, all milling about in the cold grounds.

"Remember, these visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege! Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school..." she paused, glaring straight at Fred and George who beamed proudly, "...that privilege shall not be extended again" she warned.

Then she looked down, admittedly rather sympathetically, at Harry and recovered her stern face.

"No permission form signed, no visiting the village. That's the rule, Potter" she reminded, moving towards the rest of the gathering group, but Harry followed hot on her heels.

Filch then suddenly perked up, all the permission forms gripped in his grubby hands.

"Those with permission follow me! Those without..." he suddenly called, pausing only to sneer cruelly at Safi and Harry, "...stay put".

Honestly, Safi was gutted that she wasn't able to go to the village trip. George had promised to buy her anything she wanted from Zonkos because he forget her birthday present, but she just told him to surprise her, which honestly was probably a poor choice of words.

Point is, Safi wasn't putting up much of a fight with the permission slip. She knew from the second she found out they needed it signed that she and Harry wouldn't be able to go on the trip. Then she totally went and punched Vernon's lights out. Good job at sealing your excursion fate.

But Harry persisted, pleading with McGonagall.

"But I thought if you signed it! Then I could—".

McGonagall just shook her head firmly, her face somehow mystically serious and gentle at the same time.

"I can't! Only a parent or a guardian can sign. Since I am neither it would be inappropriate" she sighed, turning on her heel deftly. But abruptly, she turned back around, and her face fell completely, and she conveyed only apology.

"I'm sorry, Potter, Safi-" she turned, nodding to the blonde girl, "but that's my final word".

And with that, she turned away and walked to the group.

Ron and Hermione lingered by, and Safi saw George and Cherie look back with guilt, but Safi smiled and waved them away, and genuinely hoped they had a good time.

"Forget about it guys. See you later" Harry called to Ron and Hermione flatly, and Safi actually saw Harry sag.

And with a sad smile, Ron and Hermione walked forward, and Safi and Harry were left in the cold.

Safi turned to Harry, feeling like she hadn't talked to him in weeks. Which in fact, she hadn't. And it had been absolute torture. Like a limb had been cut off from Safi and it went for a walk in vampire infested woods.

"Well now that we got the whole school to ourselves, hows about we convince Peeves to egg Professor Binns' office?" Safi giggled demonically, jumping from foot to foot to try and regain warmth in her legs.

And Safi waited, and kept smiling at Harry, waiting for him to reply.

But silently, and without so much as a glance, he turned on his foot and walked away from her, back inside the school.

He kept on walking, his solemn steps echoing loudly across the empty, stoned halls of Hogwarts.

One after the other.

Until Safi caught up to him, latched onto the back of his jumper and yanked him the fuck backwards.

Harry yelled, huffing as he was thrown onto his ass, and he finally met Safi's eyes, and in them he saw her full anger.

"Are you..." she breathed heavily, her face slowly growing more red as the regular fire the bloomed within her flicked higher, "...fucking kidding me?!" she screamed, her voice bouncing down the halls.

Harry furrowed his brows, his round glasses pushing forward, and he struggled to his feet and pushed up to her, his chest bumping against hers angrily, and despite their height difference, they seemed equally threatening with heated rage.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Saf?!" Harry cried, rubbing his behind. "Why'd you have to fucking push me for?!".

Safi just let out an incredulous laugh and she threw her arms up.

"I fucking pushed you on your royal ass because you bloody well deserve it!" she screamed back, a few curls escaping her hastily prepared braid, and she madly pushed them out of her eyes.

Harry just seethed back at her.

"What did I do?" he laughed unbelievably, almost viciously.

"You haven't talked to me in weeks, Harry! That's what! Do you have ANY IDEA WHAT THAT DOES TO ME?!" She finally snapped, hot tears threatening her eyes.

Harry threw back his head and huffed madly, and he snarled.

"Do YOU have any idea what I've been through lately?" Harry moaned.

Safi threw up her arms.

"You know what?! I don't! Because you haven't fucking TALKED TO ME" she cried, pushing him on his shoulders so hard he stumbled back a few steps.

Harry's brow then creased, and he stopped.

All that anyone could hear in the moment, was the almost inaudible fall of snow, and Safi's ragged breathing.

Safi stared hard at him the whole time, and this time, Harry didn't avert his gaze, he stared straight back.

And slowly, Safi's fire died down, her fists unfurled, and her anger turned to sobs.

Harry's eyes widened, and he rushed over, and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her shake and wallow with her cries.

To be honest, Harry holding onto Safi with all his might as she cried into him wasn't something that was new to them. In fact, it was something of a weekly tradition.

Safi hated crying, but she always cried.

But never in front of anyone except Harry. And Harry only.

After all, they were the only family they had, and they were the ones who grew up with the worst muggles in the world, and they were the ones who deep down, were fractured.

"Don't stop talking to m-me again" Safi sobbed, holding him close.

Harry shook his head.

"I won't".

"And don't ever block me out again" she cried into his jumper.

"I won't".

"And don't keep things from me" she whispered, burrowing closer to him.

But he pulled away, holding only onto her hand.

"...I have to".

He then leaned in from one final hug, and as he leaned away, he smiled down at her.

And then he had the audacity to laugh.

Safi tilted her head, hot tears dried on her face and she sniffed.

"What's so funny, Potter?" she asked teasingly, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her blue jumper.

"I forgot how ugly a crier you were" he teased. And with that, he flinched away, anticipating flying fists, but she just stood there in shock, hearing his retreating footsteps down the hall.

Suddenly, she shook herself, and for the first time in the last few hellish weeks, she genuinely smiled.

And she took off after him.

"Fuck you, Harry Potter!" she screamed, her laughing echoing through the school.

* * *

"Professor, can I ask you something?" Harry asked meekly, turning to Remus hopefully.

Remus just chuckled beside him, his brown hair being whipped by the cold wind, but not as much as Safi's curls, which she was currently spitting straight out of her mouth, swatting at them madly.

Remus chuckled at the sight of her, before he nodded back at Harry.

"You want to know why I stopped you facing that boggart, yes?" Remus guessed smartly, smirking as Harry nodded. "I thought it'd be obvious".

Safi snorted, coming up in between them, leaning back over the railing and peering down at the cold, dark water below.

"Well, Harry's no Ravenclaw" she guffawed loudly, making Harry swat her on the back of the head, which made Remus nearly double over in a mad fit of laughter.

As Remus recovered, he just shook his head, and curiously, Safi saw something akin to recognition in his smile, but it quickly flitted away, and the Professor's face remained impassive.

"I assumed it would take the shape of Lord Voldemort" Remus told, bowing his head.

Harry nodded too, ringing his hands.

"I did think of Voldemort at first" Harry admitted, "but then I remembered that night on the train...and the dementor" he gulped, and Safi felt the rush of fear breeze through him, and she herself gulped. Remembering the cold void of the dementor herself, but also recalling that huge spark of light that filled her very soul, and then she remembered the dementor shattering before her, and she felt all the more brave.

Remus smiled at Harry.

"I'm very impressed. That suggests what you fear the most is fear itself" Remus beamed proudly, clapping Harry on the back.

Safi then pouted, and as if he sensed it, Remus turned to her.

"And you, Safi" he grinned conspiratorially, "your boggart suggests what you fear most is the pain of those you love, and I can think of nothing more genuine in the world than that" he admitted, smoothing a hand against her shoulder proudly.

And as Safi breathed in, relishing in the feeling of someone having pride in her, she sighed in relief, and a thought niggled into her mind, and soon started to bark. And it seemed to say something rather peculiar...

"Uncle Moony"

But the thought shifted away, but not without leaving Safi with a big goofy smile on her face.

Harry slung an arm around her, squeezing her tightly, then he turned to Remus again.

"Before I fainted..." he began slowly, as of coming to terms with what he was saying. "...I heard something. A woman...screaming" he explained, and his face began to fall.

Safi squeezed him tighter, their arms still around each other, and she rested her head comfortingly against his shoulder.

"Dementors force us to relive our very worst memories" Remus explained. "Our pain becomes their power".

"I think it was my mother...the night she was murdered" Harry explained, not even daring to miss a beat in fear his voice would falter.

Safi heard Remus breathe a deep sigh, and for a second she thought he might cry. But he didn't. Instead, he smiled a smile so bright Safi thought the sun had peaked through the dark clouds.

"The very first time I saw you, Harry, I recognised you immediately. Not by your scar-" he paused, grinning happily, "- but by your eyes. They're your mothers...Lily's" he sighed, and Safi could practically feel the memories flooding back to him.

Safi, because of her gift, she felt it. The memories. She felt the move through and around him, like a little theatre playing only the greatest memories of your life.

And Safi saw them flash before her mind as if he projected them to her.

A flash of red hair.

An echo of a cheeky laugh.

And then she saw something else.

A moon. A full moon reaching through the clouds.

And she shook the memory away from her. But not before she heard a distant memory of a howl.

"Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch- she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others...even, and most especially when that person could not see it in themselves" Remus sighed softly, walking around the small wooden bridge, happiness and sadness rolling off of him in waves simultaneously.

Safi sighed as well, she felt bad that she was getting glimpses of Remus' most treasured memories. But in a way it made her feel content, she knew nothing about Harry's family, and she knew less than that about her own.

"And your father James" Remus paused to chuckle and shake his head. "He had a certain, shall we say, talent for trouble. A talent, rumour has it, he has passed onto you" he laughed whole heartedly.

Remus just kept on smiling, even though Safi could feel his heart aching.

"You're more like them than you know, Harry. In time, you'll come to see just how much" Remus assured, grasping Harry's shoulder comfortingly.

Remus then did a full turn, and his smile then landed straight on Safi.

"And you, little Miss 'punch anyone out even though I'm in the house of the kind'" he joked, grinning at her.

Safi flipped her long curls back over her shoulder and laughed.

"Guilty as charged" she tittered dramatically, shrugging her jumper closet to her shivering body.

Then, Safi felt the memories spark up in Remus again, and flashes of memories long before moved before her eyes.

And she saw her mother. Laughing loudly, her blonde hair the same colour as hers flowing in the breeze, and her brown eyes looking almost like molten gold in the sunshine.

Safi smiled sombrely, it was weird being able to see her mother after 14 years of never knowing even how she looked when she smiled. And now she saw her before her, it didn't matter one bit that it was in the memory of others.

"Your mother, was one surprisingly stubborn, angry and yet somehow nurturing and loving women I have ever known. Her and Lily were best friends, it was Lorna who was the one that would always pick me up and punch me if I was in a particularly bad place" he chuckled, his dimples peaking out among his scarred face.

Safi snorted and Harry laughed too.

"Punching runs in the family then" Harry joked, which made Safi punch him on the arm.

As Remus watched, he rubbed his shoulder, and Safi imagined he was remembering the loving punches of Lorna, bruised memories.

"I could always rely on Lorna, like I couldn't rely on anyone else. She always knew what to say to help me out of my stupors, or she'd just call me stupid and lift me out of them herself" he tittered, shaking his head.

"Lily and Lorna were always inseparable. Two rather oddly paired peas in a proverbial pod. I remember one time Lorna somehow convinced Lily to charm every floor of Hogwarts to become an ice rink. Lily was head girl at the time, so Lorna took the blame. But they laughed for weeks, Gryffindor lost so many points because of Lorna".

Safi threw her head back and giggled.

Then, a question boggled at her mind, bouncing off her inner walls again and again like a trapped bird.

So she asked.

"Did you know my father?" Safi whispered.

Suddenly, Remus flinched, and Safi immediately regretted the question.

She didn't know her father, didn't know a single thing. No matter how many visions she had, how many memories she gained from others, how many future visions she saw, her father was in none. Not even a semblance. Not even a name.

She recalled eyes like hers, and a laugh that barked. But she knew nothing, not a single thing.

Remus slowly turned his head, peaking at her meekly from out of the corners of his eyes.

"No, I didn't" he whispered back. And wordlessly, he turned away with a tight smile, and began to walk away.

And with every step he took, Safi felt a stabbing pain in her heart. And she realised.

He lied.

"Safi?" Harry poked, reaching a hand out to her.

Safi just shook her head, the pain of the memories ebbing from her mind. But then another questioned bloomed into her, and suddenly, a chill went through her.

Why did he lie?


	8. Is that my memory?

Safi snickered quietly into her hand as she and George waited behind a thick oak tree, hearing increasingly louder voices of people growing closer to their hiding spot.

George pressed close against her back, leaning over to rest his chin on her head, making Safi internally sigh at their damned height difference. How dare she be so short yet cursed with the anger of a billion fire ants.

George craned his head backwards, leaning precariously, nearly falling over until Safi reached behind her and nabbed a fistful of his jumper, making sure he didn't accidentally tip, giving away their position.

George chuckled quietly, gazing at something beyond the tree line.

"They're nearly here, you ready?" he asked the blonde girl, righting himself.

Safi, still holding onto the front of his jumper, rolled her eyes.

"When am I ever not ready to scare the living bollocks out of people? Get real, you tosser" Safi laughed.

Safi turned back to the targets, a group of unsuspecting Ravenclaw girls all going on a morning stroll through the Forbidden forest.

To be honest, Safi really didn't know why people bothered to call it the Forbidden forest anymore. It was about as Forbidden as hugging your gran.

Safi pressed the side of her face to the tree, feeling the rough of the bark press into her cheek, and an almost evil smirk began to dawn on her face.

She then sucked in a deep breath, and on the exhale, she felt her body begin to shift.

She felt her limbs tingle and creak, elongating and growing, her skin swirling into and around her body as thick, brown fur began to sprout generously around her,

The last thing she felt was two ears poke up from her head, and her bear snout widen, before she lift her hand to her eyes, and smiled to herself as her giant paws waved in front of her.

She heard George laugh behind her, and she turned her bear head to him, and attempted to raise a brow but she didn't think expressions translated properly when you're an animagus.

"No matter how many times I see you turn into a fucking bear, it's still so wicked!" George fan girled, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet as he waved his hands excitedly.

Safi shook her fuzzy head, and pressed a paw against the oak for support, as she breathed quickly, getting more excited as the girls drew nearer.

"Nearly there...wait for it" George whispered, raising his hand to Safi.

Safi grunted quietly, her breath streaming out her nose in a puff of cold air, wafting slightly into the breeze.

Then suddenly, George let out a ragged and almost throaty gasp.

And Safi took that as the cue.

She leapt forward from out behind the shadow of the great oak tree, skidding to a halt on her hind paws, feeling the strength flex throughout her muscles.

She mentally simpered, looking down at herself and seeing how truly terrifying her stance was, a giant standing brown bear.

She felt a growl rumble deep within her throat, and she felt it travel to the surface, a cry of magnanimous power.

Nothing could beat this bear!

Except maybe—

"Miss Psoft..." McGonagall tithered, staring up at her, glaring straight into her eyes with a withering glower.

Safi gasped so shockingly she reverted back to her human form in one fell swoop, then she stumbled back with all the grace of Ronald Weasley and floundered straight to the ground, landing on her ass with a huff.

Safi winced, rubbing her back as she flipped her hair out of her face and looked up at the enraged woman.

"Safi, when I agreed to take you on for extra teaching for your penchant in transfiguration, I had it under your word that your new found magic would NOT be used for nefarious mischief!" she snapped, stiffly offering a hand down to Safi who was still rubbing her ass.

Safi let out a snicker.

"I am in now way responsible for my own responsibility" Safi answered, taking McGonagall's outstretched hand and hoisting herself upwards, dusting herself off.

George suddenly stepped out from behind the tree, barely held giggles trapped inside of him as he sidled up to Safi.

"In her defence, Professor, you encouraged her to embrace her great transfiguration ability because she is absolutely shite in every other class" George offered snickering under his breath, trying to mask it as a cough.

Safi's mouth flew open and she immediately moved to thump George on the arm, before she paused mid air, and nodded, the bastard was right after all, can't disagree with that.

McGonagall rolled her eyes behind her felinesque spectacles, crossing her long-robed arms over one another.

"But I didn't mean- I didn't- ach, never mind! Just stop attempting to abuse your animagus powers or I WILL report you to the ministry and you'll have to be a registered animagus!" she warned hotly, before she whirled around steely and wandered back up the path to the castle.

Safi held her breath for a moment, before she let out a huff and threw her head back, staring up at the sky as she screwed up her nose.

"Unbelievable! Every time this year we've tried to execute something awesome she always turns up! This just isn't sizing up to be our year" Safi mumbled, her eyes scanning the grey clouds looming above, making double sure she didn't see any dementors about. Just in case.

A shiver passed through her then, the memory of the dementors still stung. Safi wished so hard that the feeling would shake. But it was horrible. Made even more horrible was the fact that she killed a dementor! The ministry had come knocking a week ago while she was in the middle of a potions essay, which she would've failed anyway, but still. Minister Fudge grilled her for hours, asking her endlessly how the hell she had managed it. Her final answer was it was her impeccable charm and voluminous body.

Fudge didn't like that answer.

For now, Safi's inane ability to murder the guard dogs of the ministry remained a mystery. But even if she could kill the soul suckers, they still scared the fuck out of her.

George looked over at her, and saw her shiver, and as he thought it was because a cold wind had picked up, he walked over and plonked his robes over her head, nearly knocking her over from the sudden force.

Safi yelped, swatting at the gigantic bundle of Gryffindor robes so they flung to the cold ground like a heap of laundry.

"What was that for?!" Safi cried, an amused grin lighting up her face.

George shrugged, also grinning.

"Thought you might've been cold, just keeping you warm" he chuckled, ruffling a hand through his long, red mop.

Safi rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes, you're such a gentleman. Boys everywhere should take notes on how to lob their dirty robes at girls" she snickered, carefully pinching the corner of the robes and lifting them up in the air, the scent of them making her flinch.

"Merlin, Georgie! Don't wear your school robes when you test out dung bombs!" she scolded, flinging the nostril offensive wear back at him.

He deftly caught the robe mid air in his hand, and Safi just blinked, and did her very best to act very unimpressed, even though that was damn well cool and if it was anyone else she would've started a Mexican wave in their honour.

"Meh" she said, flipping her blonde curls dramatically while turning on her heel and heading up the path back to Hogwarts.

Even though she left George in the proverbial dust, he just shook his head and had on possibly the goofiest smile Hogwarts had ever seen, and he ran straight after her.

As Safi heard his clunking footsteps draw nearer, she deftly stuck out her leg to her left, and her eyes lit up almost comically as George ran into it and stumbled like a baby giraffe down the hill, falling in a heap at the bottom.

Safi cackled madly, flinging her head back as she clutched at her tummy, feeling her muscles contract like a circus trampoline.

"You absolute pillock!" she cried, tears blurring her vision as she flicked them away dramatically, her breaths drawing deeper as she guffawed, slowly walking down the hill to him.

George landed upright on his bum, but not after doing a shocking series of flips and head over heels stumbles.

He flipped his long hair out of his eyes and looked up at Safi with only mildly serious anger.

"You're a class A dog, Psoft" George moaned, rubbing his butt as he slowly stood up, his body as bruised as his ego. But he still looked at Safi with a small twinkling and also a laughing smile.

"I've never seen acrobatics like—-" Safi paused, choking on the air in her throat as a vice started griping at her heart.

George immediately noticed something was up, and he gently placed a hand on Safi's shoulder, clicking his fingers deftly in front of her immobile eyes.

"Saf?" he whispered, cocking his head in soft concern.

But Safi couldn't answer, and just like a punch in the gut, she let out a strangled gasp, and a vision over came her, her eyes glazing over as pictures started to move through her mind.

~Running through the halls of Hogwarts, a familiarity dawns, a shadow running deftly amongst the darkness, anger clouding the love of his heart.

Scars burning deep into his skin, the stains of tears marring his once youthful face.

And he stops running up the stairs after many careful turns, and finally stops in front of the portrait of the fat lady.

The lady's eyes widen and she starts to seize.

"S-s-s-SIRIUS BLA—"

But she never finishes her cry, as a mangled hand reaches forward and tears through the painting, like a wolf tears through flesh.

And Safi can feel the burning rage that fuels this man, and she knows, he's only looking for one thing, the one thing he's needed for 12 years.

"Him" the voice whispers.

And then, Safi blinks and she slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle her inevitable scream. In that moment, all she feels is fear and rage, and all she can do is run.

Run to Harry.

Protect him.

"Safi! Slow down!" George calls out, only a few paces behind.

Safi bolts into the hallways of Hogwarts, running through hidden passages, the quickest path forming in her mind like a madly forming beeline, and the only thing running through her mind is the thought that someone after Harry is in the castle at this very moment.

Protect him she whispers to herself.

Soon, as she finds herself coming to the changing staircases, she realises there's nowhere left to run, as students are blocking the stairs like a crowded subway.

Safi starts to tear through the crowds, and she only stops when her eyes land on the familiar green eyes and crazed black hair.

She flings herself at Harry, wrapping her arms around him as her chest shakes.

"I thought he had you! I thought he'd got at you!" she screamed, holding him as close to her as humanly possible.

Harry's brows furrowed, but as confused as he was, he wrapped his arms back around her, squeezing her reassuringly.

"Who's getting at me?" Harry whispered in confusion.

Then, as the crowds went silent, and Dumbledore appeared, Safi at first could only hear her heartbeat.

But then the terrified voice of the fat lady rang through, and the blood froze in her veins.

"Eyes like the DEVIL he's got! And a soul as dark as his name!" she sobbed, emerging from behind some sort of African animal.

Safi squeezed her eyes closed, never daring to let go of Harry.

No one understand what it was like to have a vision. It was like you'd swallowed acid dipped in someone else's brain juices all wrapped up in an epileptic seizure.

And the only thing you can ever think about, is protecting the ones you love.

But these recent visions made her feel sick, sicker than she'd ever been in her life.

"It's him, headmaster! The one they're all talking about! He's here! Somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!" The fat lady screamed, her cries bellowing around the halls.

Safi felt bile rise in her throat, and tears welled in her eyes as she buried her head in Harry's shoulder.

Why couldn't she shake the feeling. The worst feeling in the world.

The feeling that Sirius Black wasn't just after Harry.

That he was after her too.

The next few hours were nothing but a numb blur for Safi, as she and the rest of the school were taken to the great hall to be watched over as they slept. Safi could feel all the children's fear echo around her, dreams of murderers shadowing their beds, brandishing devilish tools of death.

Safi almost envied the fact that they could sleep.

Because all Safi could do was focus on the thundering beat of her heart, and how her knuckles were white from how hard she gripped Harry's hand.

The visions never stopped, not even while she nodded off some time after 4am. This time though, it was different.

The vision, for a change, was one of happiness.

~The young man looked up at the stars, his black curls secured tightly into a low bun, a few strands floating in the cool breeze.

Then he looked down, and the corners off his eyes crinkled with glee.

"I love you, Safi. Forever and for always" he whispered. And it was the most tender words Safi had ever heard.~

"I love you most" she whispered. And then, she finally fell asleep.


	9. Now it makes sense!

Slam

All heads in the classroom snap towards the sound of the door slamming shut like a giant gust of wind had bowled it over.

Crack

Safi rolls her eyes and thumps her head down on the desk as she realises her premonition this morning had come true.

Mother fucking Severus Snape would be teaching the class.

She bit back a scream of anger as Snape flounced into the classroom, flipping his wand in hand as he shuttered all the windows closed like the dramatic and ominous asshole he is.

Bang

The last window shut behind the brooding professor as he finally turned towards the front of the class, all eyes on him, except for Safi who was currently thumping her head repeatedly up and down on her desk.

Snape rolled his eyes at her, probably just itching to take points away from Hufflepuff on her behalf, or to give points to Slytherin just for breathing.

The Professor just twitched his emotionless face, and crossed his arms threateningly over his chest.

"Turn to page 394" he enunciated carefully, somehow making every single word come out like a bludgeon to the skull.

Every student in the classroom turned to all look to one another, confusion drawn deep on their brows as they whispered to each other, the same questions on their minds.

"Where was Lupin?"

Harry, of course, turned towards Snape and lazily raised his hand.

"Excuse me sir, where's Professor Lupin?" he asked, ignoring Safi's protests as she tried to slap his hand down from the air.

But the damage was done, and Snape rolled his eyes with a devilish sneer.

"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter?" he spat nastily, turning to the rest of the class.

Safi felt the need to rise from her chair and attack the man, but she was strongly held into her seat by Cherie, who leaned over from the desk behind Safi and clamped her down into her seat by her shoulders.

Harry shook his head at the pair, then turned back to brood at Snape.

"Suffice it to say-" Snape paused, his eyes flirting angrily over Safi like they always did, "-your professor finds himself incapable of teaching...at the present time" he answered mysteriously, turning his back to the classroom. "Turn to page 394" he repeated droningly.

All students collectively rolled their eyes as they all began slowly shifting through the pages of their text books.

Safi looked down at her own book with a pout. This was her favourite class, how come Snape had to ruin everything. Snape is the reason no one can have nice things.

After a few seconds of page flicking, Safi looked down at the provided page and raised a brow.

"Werewolves?!" Ron suddenly called, looking up from his book at Snape with a dumbfounded face.

Then, Hermione suddenly sprang up out of nowhere in the seat right in front of Safi. So suddenly in fact that Safi let out a mangled scream and flailed backward, connecting with the ground with a hard thump.

Hermione raised a brow at her before she just shook her head at Snape.

"But Sir, we just learned about red caps and hinkypunks! We're not meant to start that for weeks" she complained, rising from her chair to help Safi up from the ground.

Snape just audibly sighed.

"Quiet!" he called threateningly, and Hermione immediately shut up, but not without a hurt pout and a quiet huff.

Safi dusted herself off, clapping Hermione on the back in thanks for the support.

Ron suddenly noticed Hermione was in fact there, and Safi realised she wasn't the only one who hadn't noticed Hermione's sudden and confusing arrival.

"When did she come in?!" Ron called out in confusion, then he turned to Harry across the desk, "did you see her come in?!" he cried dumbly.

Hermione just rolled her eyes, but to be honest, Safi knew something was extra fishy about Hermione lately.

Like just last week, Safi had asked Hermione to pass the butter at breakfast, then the next second she walked in from the great hall.

If Safi didn't know any better, she'd say Hermione had somehow invented her own TARDIS.

But Safi did know better, therefore Hermione did in fact invent her own TARDIS.

For now though, Safi would just have to snoop around Hermione for a while and see what's up. However in the present there were bigger things to worry about. Like why was "I can't get a girlfriend even if I love potioned them" Snape teaching the only class Safi actually enjoyed?

And then the great thought began to niggle at Safi's mind.

Something wasn't right.

Safi's nose wrinkled as the familiar nausea overcame her, like a wave of sickness flooding her insides. Merlin she hated having the sight. Most of the time it just made her feel worse, and then only sometimes did it actually come in hand.

She steeled herself as she waited for a vision to overcome her...

But it didn't.

Safi dropped her shoulders and let out a gentle breath and a gentle, chided chuckle.

"False alarm" she thought, and she sunk down into her chair, breathing easier than she had in the past few months.

She then turned to Snape and actually waited for him to start teaching.

"Now..." he droned, "which one of you can tell me the difference between an animagus and a werewolf—-

BAM

Safi inhaled painfully as the nausea came back tenfold and the vision suddenly overcame her, filling her whole mind like someone had just pumped it full of acid.

~the damp earth squished underneath as I raised my snout towards the sky. Suddenly a deep rumble bursts from within, and a howl feels the dark space around me.

I bound forward, my scars straining against my aching skin, the patchy fur billowing around my body.

And all the while all I feel is loss, terror, fear, but above all:

Anger.~

A scream tears from Safi's throat as she comes to, the vision fading away as one thought slips anew into her mind and things suddenly become clear.

"Werewolf! He's a werewolf" she suddenly whispers to herself.

Suddenly, she lifts her head, and her brow immediately furrows.

"Why the crikey fuck am I in the girls bathroom?" she calls aloud, taking in the cold surroundings as she realises she's sitting cross legged on the ground, right behind the sinks.

She shivers as memories of the chamber of secrets comes back, but she pushes it aside as she slowly stands up.

"How did I get here?" she whispers to herself, internally scratching her head.

"You walked in!" a shrill voice trilled.

Safi immediately whirled around and had a fist poised protectively in front of her, before she realised moaning Myrtle was peaking her head sweetly, but weirdly, out from her usual bathroom stall.

"I walked in?" Safi questioned, this time actually reaching up to scratch her head.

Myrtle nodded her ethereal head, floating forwards slowly to stand- well glide- in front of Safi.

"Although at first I thought you were drunk, I quickly realised you were just having another one of your visions! It's been quite a while since you've had one of those, eh?" Myrtle giggled, her transparent voice floating around the bathroom.

Safi nodded slowly, gently pressing a hand against her forehead, feeling it to be clammy and cold.

"They've started coming back, and they've come back with a vengeance" Safi groaned, clutching her head as the usual after vision headache split through her mind.

Myrtle tutted, sighing sadly as she swooned around the bathroom, resting herself against the sinks.

"I bet you've figured out Remus's furry little problem then. Otherwise I can't figure out who else in the school would be a wer—-"

"Don't say it, Myrtle!" Safi snapped, waving her hands in the air to stop the ghostly girl.

Safi then pinned her arms to her sides and began pacing erratically as Myrtle kept silent but left her eyes ever watching.

"It's not my secret to have found out! It's not nice that I found out, it's rude, my sight gift is rude!" she self chastised, drop kicking a stray roll of loo paper across the bathroom, watching it land in the far sink.

Myrtle shook her head in agreement.

"Quiet right, your gift is very intrusive. But then again...oh no I shouldn't say it" Myrtle simpered, twirling on the spot like a ghostly ballerina.

Safi stopped in her tracks, turning to glare suspiciously at the ghostly girl.

"What? Say what?" Safi asked, raising her voice slightly.

Myrtle just shook her head, twirling a piece of her long hair innocently.

"Oh nothing, nothing. Well actually, you shouldn't feel bad at what you've found out. Now you and Lupin are on par. You've got information on him...and he's got information on you" she giggled darkly.

Safi's brows shot up.

"He was lying! He knows something! He knows about my father!" Safi cried erratically, running up to Myrtle with excitement and fear mixing nastily in her stomach.

Myrtle just nodded quickly.

"Oh yes, he knows all about your father. All about him..." she laughed again.

Myrtle always giggled when she talked, but this time, Safi felt as though it wasn't something happy. It was masking something as sinister as sinister could be.

Safi swallowed thickly, she felt like glass was sliding down her throat.

"What are you saying, Myrtle?" Safi asked quietly.

But Myrtle just shook her head, and with a small giggle, she floated upwards to the roof, and disappeared.

Safi was left there, feeling cold, numb, and like Peeves has just dropped a tonne of bricks down her throat.

She had never been this close to information about her father.

For fucks sake, she didn't even know his name.

But now she knows that someone knows.

And if someone knows...

"Then I can know" she whispered.

* * *

"GO SAFI GO!"

Safi pumped one fist in the air as the other held tightly onto her broom as she went zooming through the stormy sky.

It was Hufflepuff VS Gryffindor this month, and even though Safi loved Harry to the moon and back, she was going to absolutely throttle his ass.

The past few weeks and all the emotional stress with her visions had left her not only exhausted, but her anger was as pent up as a tiger in a cage. Or rather, a badger in a cage.

She let out a whoop as she flew past the grand stands, hearing her fellow Hufflepuffs cheer her name.

Suddenly, she saw Angelina Johnson up ahead, the quarrel cradled in her arms, and she was heading straight for the goals.

Safi gripped her broom harder, and went soaring towards the Gryffindor girl.

She pulled up beside her, and watched the girls eyes widen and then glare savagely as Safi thumped the quaffle out of her grip and into her own arms.

"See ya!" Safi called out, pulling up ahead and back towards the Gryffindor goals.

Safi zoomed madly, dodging the nasty bludger, even swerving as Fred and George attempted to flank her, but she was on her top game, and she was sure as shit going to rub it in all their faces as she scored this goal.

The rain pelted down across her body, soaking her completely to the bone as she drew back all her strength, and hurtled the quaffle straight through the tallest hoop on the Gryffindors side.

Cheers erupted around her all across the stadiums, but even the roar of the screams was drowned up by the ever falling rain and ever clapping thunder.

Safi zoomed around the grounds watching as the game passed on, Hufflepuff was winning by miles, which she was fucking thankful for, it had been a while since Hufflepuff had won anything. And usually, Hufflepuff were thought to be complacent in this, but Safi was not.

Suddenly, the quaffle was passed to Safi, and she sped off down the field.

"Amy Prads passes it straight into the lovely as ever arms of chaser Safi Psoft! Look at that golden beauty go!" Lee Jordan screamed into the announcer, immediately followed by the sound of a dull thump and McGonagall screaming at him.

Safi just laughed heartily, and zoomed forward, keeping both eyes on the prize.

In the corner of her eyes she spotted Cedric Diggory zooming after a fleck of gold, and soon enough she saw Harry follow suit.

She smirked to herself. She knew how good both of them were. This was definitely going to be a battle for the prize.

Suddenly, the quaffle was knocked out of the crook of her elbow, and Angelina Johnson and Jack Sloper flanked her, pulling forwards ahead with smirks plastered on their faces, Angie blowing a quick raspberry at her.

Safi laughed, but flipped the girl off, Angie was always good for a laugh.

Safi, not one to take competition lightly, sped forward, pulling up beside Angie's flank and bumping her slightly so that the quaffle fell from her arms.

As Angelina gasped, Safi cackled and scooped the brown ball up in her hands, pulling down on her broom to zoom away from the flabbergasted Gryffindors.

Safi zoomed past the bustling players once more, and when she reached the goals, she pulled back on her arm, the quaffle poised ready to blow through the goal, when a vision overcame all her senses.

~the rain hit the already blurred goggles, thunder clapping beside me. The snitch only lay a few feet ahead, but my outstretched arm was frozen solid, and then, the dementor appeared in front of me, and the creature vent it's head to mine, and all my happiness was wiped clean.

Then I fell.~

Safi yanked back on her broom as her eyes flung open, and she let out a terrified scream, like she'd never screamed before.

"HARRY".

She saw it then, Harry's limo body peak peak out from the clouds, and she sped forward, zooming through the rain that seemed to pierce her skin like a thousand frozen knives.

She kept zooming forward, and then, he fell through the cloud bank, and people along the stands began screaming.

Safi reached him just in time, for a second his body was suspended in the air, and Safi just knew Dumbledore had stopped him, she just knew.

Harry's limp body collided with hers, and she wrapped her arms strongly around him, holding him against her.

The weight was hard, but she barely noticed it as she looked down at his slack, paled face.

Before she knew it, she was screaming on the ground, her tears mixing with the unforgiving rain.

Before her misty eyes Harry was whisked away, and then she felt something drape around her shoulders, something soft and warm that seemed to make the rain evaporate off of her body.

But she was numb to the cold, and even more numb to what anyone was saying.

It wasn't until hours later when Harry opened his eyes did she dare to even breathe.

And the first thing the bastard said was a fucking joke.

She reached across the hospital bed and held him in a vice grip, not caring that he winced at her strength.

"Don't ever EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Safi screamed into his shoulder, feeling him wrap his arms tentatively around her.

"Believe me, I didn't plan on it!" he joked, making her slightly at ease.

The next few hours were spent showing Harry his broken beloved broom, and arguing with Madam Pomfrey about never leaving Harry's side.

Eventually, Madam Pomfrey won, and Safi reluctantly went to bed, where she spent the next few hours plagued with nightmares of Harry falling from the sky.


	10. Please don't leave me

"Okay..." Harry breathed slowly, huffing his breath out into his hands, trying desperately to keep some warmth, "what's the plan exactly?".

Safi groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead, the sound of impact echoing gentle around the empty hall.

"Do I seriously have to explain it again?!" she complained, hugging her green dragon skin coat closer to her body, dusting the snow flakes off her shoulder.

Harry shook his head slowly.

"No, you don't have to explain the whole thing. Just please explain how a cannonball comes into it..." he asked, steepling his hands and pointing them at her with a small, wily grin.

Safi opened her mouth to explain, but almost immediately she snapped it shut, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, shit, it is a crap plan" she grumbled concededly, "but you know what isn't a crap plan!" Safi chuckled, moving beside Harry and yanking his invisibility cloak out from under his arm, "this!".

Safi threw her arms up, and smiled to herself as she watched the thin, silvery material fall around the pair of them, like a blanket of soft velvet swallowing them whole.

"Great plan, I like this plan" Harry replied snarkily.

Safi scoffed, looking around her and Harry cautiously, making sure every inch of them was covered under the cloak.

"No attitude, Mr Potter, or I'll steal all your pants so you have to go around naked everywhere" she warned with an almost devilish chuckle, "again".

Harry, not wanting to test whether or not Safi was bluffing, immediately shut his mouth, imperceptibly shivering as he remembered the harsh winter week where all his pants were thrown into the Great Lake and eaten by the squid.

He grumbled under his breath, pushing his glasses further on the bridge of his nose, and begrudgingly linked his arm with Safi's.

"Let's go then. To Hogsmeade!" Harry called aloud, then immediately pressed his own finger to his lips to shut himself up, which made Safi chuckle.

The boy is definitely no Ravenclaw.

They soon fell into a quiet, synchronised step, trudging gently down the hallways, careful not to give away their position.

It wasn't until they'd nearly gone outside, that Safi took a harsh intake of breath as she and Harry were dragged arm in arm by Fred and George.

"Fuck off you wankers!" Safi whispered madly, kicking her legs out at them, hitting Fred in his shins.

Fred squawked in pain, but kept an iron hold on her arms.

Safi huffed madly.

"We had a plan! You've just royally fucked the plan!" Safi groaned, trying not to slip and fall completely in the snow.

Fred raised his brows at her while George smiled goofily at her, and it only took a moment for George's smile to break Safi's angered resolve.

"You bastards" she giggled, smacking them both upside the head, watching as they simultaneously rubbed their heads like they were both clockwork boys, matched up to each others every movements.

"Not very courteous of you, Saf dear, not at all how you should treat your saviours!" Fred gloated smugly, adjusting his grip on Safi's arms.

"Saviours of what?" Harry asked.

"It was a clever plan, guys" Fred said mysteriously.

"-But not clever enough" George finished, winking roguishly at Safi, making her roll her eyes so hard they nearly knocked out of her head and fell down into the trail of snow.

"We've got a better way" Fred continued, nodding his head in time with George's.

"We're trying to get into Hogsmeade!" Harry said dumbly, which made Safi roll her eyes again.

"They know"

"We know"

Safi, Fred and George all chuckled as they realised what they'd all said.

Harry now rolled his eyes, huffing madly, muttering something under his breath.

Suddenly, as Fred and George dragged them into an alcove, Safi and Harry landed on a staircase, throwing the cloak off of them, unfortunately making a blanket of static that made Safi and Harry's already wild hair wilder, almost mad.

"Now, Harry, come and join the big boys!" George laughed, shoving a piece of paper into his clammy hands.

Safi gasped loudly, cold air filling her lungs as she pointed a fingered straight into George's face.

"You bastards!" Safi cried, stomping her foot into the icy step in anger, "you told me you got it taken off of you!" she glowered, snatching the map from Harry's hands, ignoring his confused face.

"What's this rubbish?" Harry asked in utter confusion.

Fred and George shared a sly look while Safi rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

"'What's this rubbish' he says" George mocked, leaning against the stair next to Safi, laying his head atop hers, making her even more mad.

"This is the secret to our success" Fred disclosed, his eyes brightening slightly with the memory of how they had discovered the map, then shaking his head, "it's a wrench giving it to you, but we've decided your needs are greater than ours- George if you will..." Fred called, stepping out of the way.

Safi sighed at their theatrics, but couldn't help smiling at the memories she also shared with the map.

George lifted his head from Safi's and went to stand next to his brother, taking his wand deftly out of his jean pocket and pointing it to the crinkled, aged parchment held in Harry's hands.

George cleared his throat- "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" he recanted, gently tapping the tip of his wand to the parchment like they'd done a thousand times.

Harry watched in amazement as the ink on the parchment once invisible a moment ago swirled and swooned to life, forming the infamous Marauders Map.

Safi zoned out slightly as Harry and the twins talked on about the map and how they discovered it, she amusedly thought back on the memories she held of that ingenious map.

She remembered how she felt, after she herself was the one to crack the code of it, laughing at how long it took them, how many tries and how many insults the map spit at them, they laughed for hours and hours, even getting some inspiration for new insults to hurl at anyone who looked at her wrong.

In the end, Safi, Fred and George marked the day they cracked the secret of the Marauders map as the day they truly began to be the hell makers of Hogwarts, it was like a long held torch had been passed to them, and there was definitely no one more worthy of it.

Safi then shook her head, zoning back in as she focused her eyes and ears on whatever George was saying, quietly watching his face as he talked.

"...what they're doing" George said, his eyes flicking quickly to Safi, making her whistle innocently and look abashedly into the distance at nothing. George just grinned stupidly at her, and turned back to his brother.

"Every minute" Fred continued.

"Of everyday!" George finished brightly.

Harry guffawed, completely taken aback, suddenly holding the map like it was now a precious jewel.

"Brilliant!" he praised, then his brow dropped and he turned to the mischievous twins, "where'd you get it?" he asked in suspicion, suddenly holding the map at length like a swat team would suddenly drop in and snatch it from his hands.

George shrugged lazily.

"From Filch's office in first year" he sighed, holding out his hand in front of him, pretending to examine his nails.

Safi guffawed madly, her voice going up an octave in madness.

"First year?! WE-" she corrected, flicking George on the nose, "nicked it from Filch's office on the first day I got detention, it was after I turned the great hall into an ice rink, you lying tossers" Safi laughed brightly, wrapping her black scarf closer around her shivering neck.

"Shutup, lovebirds!" Fred scolded just as George reached over to flick Safi on her nose. "The point is, there are seven secret passageways out of the castle..." Fred continued, turning back to the map.

George rolled his eyes at Fred ignoring what he said, even though his cheeks burned bright red, and it definitely wasn't from the cold. He reached a hand onto the map and traced a gentle line with his finger. "We'd recommend—"

"This one" the twins said together, Fred joining his hand on the map with his brother, tracing the same circle.

The next few minutes were a bit of a mad blur, after Safi screamed out that Filch was coming and her and the twins automatically began running away erratically.

Eventually though, Harry caught up with Safi, after he had found her on the map hiding behind Sir Cadogan's armour.

They regrouped together, shivering madly, but quietly, under the invisibility cloak, trudging their way through the one eyed witch passageway straight to Honeydukes, along the way occasionally stopping to yell at eachother as they kept stepping on eachother or hitting something, to be honest it was a miracle they made it there at all.

But they did, with Safi carefully opening the cellar door to Honeydukes, and ending with Harry mentally apologising to Neville as his acid pop got stuck to the outside of the invisibility cloak.

Harry and Safi hotly debated to eachother for a few moments as to what they would do, until the perfect moment presented itself, in the form of Draco Malfoy and his pompous ass companions muttering quietly to themselves that they were about to 'teach Weaslebee and his mudblood bitch their place in the world'.

Harry and Safi just locked eyes imperceptibly, nodded to eachother as a grin spread madly on Safi's face.

"It's crunch time".

* * *

Hermione laughed brightly as Harry started flipping up Ron's beanie tassels, and it took so much of Safi's will power not to burst out laughing.

Then, Hermione turned her head, and somehow locked eyes straight with Harry, and a huge grin broke out on his face.

"Harry!" she scolded, however she still couldn't keep laugh contained.

Safi threw off the cloak, revealing her and Harry, her laughs still ringing with Draco's screams, and she relished once more in the snowball she threw direct hit into his smug face.

Everyone kept laughing, as they heard the three Slytherin boys screams subside into the distance.

Except Ron, he was still scared shitless.

"Bloody hell, Harry, Safi! That was not funny!" he whined, his eyes still wide with shock.

Safi just burst out laughing again, slapping Ron on the shoulder and throwing her other around Hermione, pulling her into a big hug which she laughed into, the soft wool of her jumper squishing against her skin.

The three then fell into a gentle quiet, until Safi heard the unmistakeable laughs of George and found herself curiosity bound to follow the sounds.

That was until her curiosity fell as she found herself at the front door of the shrieking shack, watching George lob what looked like green mutant bubblegum straight at Jordan and Fred.

But hey, finding the boys in circumstances like this was just a normal Tuesday to be honest.

"Keep still, you minger!" George called impatiently, sticking his tongue out of his lips in acute concentration.

Or rather...a cute concentration...

"What the fuck, brain?!" Safi thought to herself, immediately slapping herself on the forehead, the sound echoing embarrassingly loudly, announcing her presence to the three pranksters.

"Quit hitting yourself, you're much to gorgeous to hit" Lee flirted dramatically, letting out an impossibly long catlike growl.

Safi let out a disgusted grunt, lobbing the nearest stick she could find on the ground straight at him, but Lee just dodged it, and his simpleton smirk grew wider.

"You love it" he snickered, clicking his finger in an attemptedly suave motion, but really he just looked as dumb as he usually did.

Safi continued to do her usual eye roll, until she suddenly heard a loud thump, quickly followed by one of Lee's typical screams.

"George! What the fuck?!" Lee squawked jumping 2 feet in the air, tenderly rubbing the left side of his body, which George had literally just pummelled the shit out of.

"Sorry, Lee. Thought I saw a bee" he muttered under his breath, and Safi thought she detected a hint of bitterness in his voice, but she shrugged it off, as did Lee, but not without mumbling a few insults at George meekly.

Safi just giggled at their antics and they all giggled too.

That was until a scream rang throughout the woods, it's source, none other than the shrieking shack.

"I see where it gets it's name" Safi said smartly, ignoring the pale and gloomed face of the three boys around her.

"Fucking hell" George mumbled under his breath, "and I thought the midnight screams of the ghoul in our attic was scary. But that is just mad" he shivered, but Safi knew it wasn't from the cold.

Safi shook her head, a grin plastered on her face as she crunches some snow under her boots.

"You're all wimps, there's literally ghosts living at our school, so why would you be scared of ghosts in a run down shack?" she said with a smug smile.

"Because, dear Saf-" Fred called, trudging backwards to the front steps of the shack, turning to rap his knuckles on the dilapidated wood of the house, "-Hogwarts ghosts politely introduce themselves, whereas I've heard such tales of wild ghosts hunting down wizards, something about ancient grudges or something" Fred whispered, his fingers dancing for dramatic effect, to which Safi scoffed.

"'Wild ghosts'?" Safi mocked crossing her arms across her chest, "they're not deer, Fred. It's not like ghosts are running about in herds, you numpty".

Fred just shrugged her off, but then George perked up, and he started to carefully stalk towards Safi with a dangerously poised brow.

"If you're such a big tough Hufflepuff, then why don't you go in there, ey? Show us all up! Or..." he paused, leaning down to stare her right in the eyes, "...are you too sca—-".

But he didn't get to finish his sentence, as Safi shoved her gloved hand into his mouth and pushed him backwards, and started stalking straight towards the front steps of the Shrieking shack, and then before she realised just what she'd done, she was inside, the front door swinging shut behind her.

"Ah fucken hell" she whispered under her breath, suddenly realising what she did, "why didn't I just say fuck off?!".

The inside of the shrieking shack was pretty much exactly what she expected. All peeled paint, broken windows and dust.

But then again, with the dull winter sunlight streaming through what was left of the windows, it was almost serene, like this place was just for those who wanted some peace and quiet.

Safi stepped forward, the boards creaking underfoot, but she wasn't scared, there wasn't anyone here, except the dust, a black dog and herself—-

"What the fuck" Safi said bluntly, blinking rapidly to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.

But no, it wasn't a trick of the light.

There, a few feet in front of her, squatting itself on a thousand year old lounge, dust billowing around it, was a big, black dog.

"What the fuck" Safi stated again, tilting her head to the left, her eyes narrowing at the strange animal.

The dog let out a small huff, turning his head to the right with his tongue falling out of his mouth.

Safi let out an intrigued huff, her minding reeling, wondering what the actual fuck a dog was doing in the shrieking shack of all places.

Safi slowly squatted down to the floor, keeping her eyes on the dog, seeing now how thin and sickly it looked, it's poor bones sticking out like railway tracks all up and down it's body.

"You poor sweet, you want a sandwich?" Safi spoke in a high voice, like she would any animal, the plastic wrap rustling in her hand and she bought out her wrapped ham sandwich.

The dog immediately perked up, bolting towards her from the couch, dust and other matter falling from his greasy coat.

"You're a bit gross y'know, but that's okay, we're all a bit gross sometimes" she whispered into his flea bitten ear, pushing the sandwich towards him gently.

He immediately snapped it up in his mouth, seemingly swallowing the lunch whole, his tail wagging furiously, stirring up the air once more.

Safi's face lit up, watching the dead looking dog light up as well, sniffing her hand gently, nuzzling into it shyly.

"There's a good boy, do you have a name? I'm Safi by the way, but you can just call me woof" she whispered to the dog.

The dog let out a woof immediately, almost as if the little guy actually understood her.

"There you go, you've got it down perfect—".

Suddenly the still and calm air collapsed, as a pitched scream fell through the broken windows and settled around them, giving Safi a chill like no cold winter ever could.

She immediately ran to the window, her hair falling around her as she searched out into the snow laden hills, searching for anyone who could've made such a scream, a scream filled with the anger of a thousand people.

Safi turned them to the door, but only to find it blocked by the poor looking dog.

It lifted its head gently to her, it's grey eyes pleading with her, begging her not to leave.

But Safi was terrified as to what that scream meant, so she moved the dog aside, and ran straight out into the cold, ignoring the cries of Fred, George and Lee, running straight up the hill, only to stop, as she saw Harry.

Harry, his shoulders slumped forward, his hair a usual mess, and hot tears streaming down his cold face.

Hermione was kneeling in front of him, and as her eyes landed on Safi, she suddenly looked even more terrified.

"What is it? What's happened? Harry?" Safi called out, running towards them.

But Safi barely got a foot away from Harry, before she came face to face with Harry, his invisibility cloak fallen into the snow.

Harry's face was red, from the cold and from the tears, but behind the tears, was nothing but anger.

"It was him. It was all his fault" he whispered harshly, his voice hoarse from screaming and his fists clenched threateningly.

Safi's eyes softened as she raised her hand to press to his face, but he pushed it away, his face twisted in rage and sadness and all mixed with utter confusion.

"It's you! You're his—-and he did it! He killed them! HE KILLED MY PARENTS!" he screamed in her face, making her fall backwards, the snow falling calmly around them.

The silence in between the screams was worse than the actual screaming, and now it was Safi's turn to cry.

"Harry...what are you talking about—-"

"SIRIUS BLACK!" he screamed, towering over her, making her more scared than she'd ever been.

She'd had people tower over her countless times, bullies, teachers, Vernon and Petunia, and they'd all hurt her. But it was never someone towering over that she loved.

"It's him, he killed my parents..." Harry whispered, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks.

He then simply turned away from her, walking backwards and shaking his head firmly.

"And you're his daughter. And he killed my parents".

The silence came again, mingled with snowfall, and now the heavy beating of Safi's pounding heart.

"My...my father..." she choked.

Harry nodded, his face crumbling completely.

"Your father killed mine. He killed them all..." and with that, he turned away, grabbing his cloak and running over the hill and far away.

And there was Safi, down in the unforgiving cold of the snow, soaking her straight to the bone. And she couldn't feel anything, but worst of all, she could feel everything. The only thing she could think over and over again, was the one thought she'd always wanted answered, but now she cursed herself for ever wanting to know.

"My father...is Sirius Black.


	11. What’s the point?

"So, how many days has it been since 'the incident?" Cherie gently prodded, tucking the end of her sleeve under her fingers, raising it slowly to Safi's face to wipe away the smudged makeup under her eyes.

Safi just immediately swatted her hand away, and let out a nervous sob, her tired body rattling straight through.

"26 days..." Safi whispered, her face crumbling for the fiftieth time that day as she muddled herself closer into her bed, accidentally knocking against Robert Plant's cage, making the emotional toad croak gently.

Cherie sighed and tutted, her black braids shaking against her shoulders, and she reached forward and snatched a handful of Safi's blankets and purposefully yanked them backwards.

Safi bawled like a cat who just got stepped on, flipping herself into a ball and crying out at the light pouring onto her body from the damned absurd number of windows in the Hufflepuff common room.

"Just leave me alone!" Safi screamed, hiding her head in her arms, her blonde curls sticking up at odd angles from lack of being washed.

But Cherie was not deterred, in fact, she was determined.

"No. Safi, you're disgusting. You smell like a dung bomb and you look like Merlin's ass" Cherie chided, crossing her arms across her chest madly.

Safi groaned into her arms, squeezing herself closer so she blocked out more sunlight from her blackened and sunken eyes.

As much as Safi hated to admit it, her best friend was right.

Since that day, that awful fucking day, Safi had walked home in the snow, tears freezing to her red face, and gone straight to her dorm room.

She had done nothing but cry and think. In fact she had been begging every god in the world to give her some sort of memory.

Some memory of her father, Sirius Black.

"What's the point" Safi mumbled, letting her arms fall against the bed, revealing her red and puffy face, making Cherie breathless as to just how torn Safi was inside and out.

Cherie really didn't know what to say when Safi got in one of her moods. In the past, Cherie had woken up on a fair few nights for different reasons, including visions that would jolt her awake and leaving her screaming, or some nights she'd simply be awake, thinking about horrible things that happened, thinking about horrible things that might happen, or maybe she'd just be thinking, thinking so much she couldn't get to sleep until the sun started to come up.

But this incident was worse. Safi has lost the only family she ever had, the brother she protected everyday of her life since she was born, and he'd up and screams at her, telling her to never speak to him again.

And not only that, she finds out her father is one of the most infamous serial killers of all time.

Of course things weren't going well around school either. Word had got out about Safi's parentage. A week ago Safi had ventured out, just to get some food, and some Ravenclaw cornered her, screaming that she was the same mad as her father, and that she should be locked in the same cell in Azkaban. This of course resulted in the poor Ravenclaw to be knocked straight on the face, blood spurting out like a morbid fountain.

Safi hadn't dared go out since, locking herself in and shutting herself completely out of the world.

How else was she going to cope after losing her brother and finding out probably the worst possible news about your parentage?

Cherie looked down at her best friend, and softly placed her hand atop Safi's, hoping some mystical warmth and happiness would transfer to the broken girl.

"Safi...please...at least have a showe—-"

"WHATS THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOUR DAD BEING A MURDERER?!" George suddenly screamed, making his presence completely known as he slammed the door open, making the walls rattle somehow.

Safi immediately jumped up on the bed, her hair a nest and her face looking like an angry raccoon, but her rage was just as ragey as usual, if not completely more enraged.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM GEORGE WEASLEY" Safi roared, making the walls shake once more.

George however, just laughed.

"No!" he giggled, rushing forward to Safi, climbing atop her bed and wrapping his arms around her middle, knocking them both down in a muddled heap to the floor.

"Geroff!" Safi screamed, slapping him madly everywhere she could.

But George's grip was like a vice, and he just kept on laughing like the worlds dumbest hyena.

"Aww, is ickle Safi feeling mad? Feeling angry? Feeling sad? Feeling hopeless and lost?" George prodded, tightening his grip around her waist.

Safi kept on beating at him like a human drum, beating on and beating on for what seemed like an eternity, it wasn't until she realised she'd probably just about bruised his whole body that she stopped, and started crying.

"He hates me, Georgie. He really really hates me" she sobbed, shakes wreaking her body.

George moved his arms from her waist to her arms, rubbing them soothingly, and he just smiled.

"He hates you as much as you hate him. You're family Safi, and you're just about the strongest people I've ever met. I could never go what you two have gone through and be as well adjusted as you are" he smiled, prodding her in the ribs.

Safi's squirmed, and slowly, a smile formed on her face.

"'Well adjusted'"?! Safi repeated with a mad guffaw, "I'm about as well adjusted as Peeves!" she cackled, her chest bouncing like a jumping castle full of gleeful children.

George finally let go of her, lifting her up as he stood and smiling down at her.

"Listen to Cherie, she's the smartest one here. Besides, you stink" he said bluntly.

Safi rolled her eyes, but she smiled anyway, and walked out of the room, summoning a yellow towel with her wand, and closing the door behind her.

George just giggled after her, until he looked down and realised Cherie was staring up at him with wide eyes and her jaw dead set on the floor.

"Firstly; how did you get into the Hufflepuff common room and up the girls staircase. Secondly; how did you get through to her?!" Cherie demanded, grabbing George by the lapels of his school robes and shaking him senseless.

George just shrugged shyly, lifting his hands innocently.

"One thing my brother Charlie always taught me, was to grab someone and not let them go until they started laughing and felt better, but I'm pretty sure he was talking about dragons" George simply said, before turning on his heel and swaggering straight out the door, leaving Cherie standing alone and completely gobsmacked.

And she just chuckled with a gentle shake of her head.

"They're so meant for eachother" she tutted with a giggle, and she too then walked out the door, going to her next class.


	12. Choked up

Safi stood in the shadows, her back pressed flat against a cluster of overgrown trees, her eyes darting madly into the wilderness that was the forbidden forest.

Her eyes spied just about every creature she'd ever come across when she had her own wanderings in the forest, but she was only focused on one thing.

The hunched and retreating figure of Professor Lupin.

It had been nearly 2 months since she found out he was a werewolf. Completely on accident of course. She wished with all her strength that she hadn't found out, after all it wasn't her secret to know.

But here she was, watching the wiry man from the dark, trying desperately to pluck up the courage to talk to him.

Remus nearly stumbled over a fallen log, but quickly righted himself, but not without causing a new tear in his already torn jacket.

The more Safi had been watching him lately, the more clearly she saw just how similar a life she and the mysterious Professor had.

It wasn't until her first year of Hogwarts that Safi had gotten any new clothes. Before that she had been given rags by Petunia, or she had the clothes that she frequently stole from the vinnies store around the block.

She knew stealing from the church shop was wrong, but she figured God wouldn't mind. After all, God had taken her parents, so she might as well take some clothes.

Point is, she saw Remus Lupin dressed in rags, and she felt a twinge of understanding. She saw him sitting all alone on his breaks, and she knew she was the same as him. She saw him wandering all alone through the dark woods of the forbidden forest, and she knew, Lupin knew things that she needed to know.

"Are you going to stand there forever?"

Safi sucked in a harsh breath as Remus's call hit her ears, and she stumbled out of the dark, looking at him with wide eyes and a deep frown.

"Are you going to keep lying to me?!" she called back, her pace quickening as she kept walking to him, her cheeks flushing a quick red with a new wave of anger overtaking her.

Remus just stood there and as she drew nearer, she saw he was shaking his head, his shaggy greying hair lifting lightly.

"Lying am I? I think you're wrong, Safinya" he said with a stern bite, his eyes twitching in gentle snap.

Safi choked on a bitter laugh, as she came to a stop right in front of the man and sneered right up at him.

"You. Lied." she spat, pointing her finger angrily up at him. "You said you didn't know who my father was! You said you didn't—-"

Remus just tilted his head backwards and let out a raucous laugh.

Safi's jaw slackened, and her eyes flew open, her limbs shaking head to toe.

"Don't you DARE laugh at me! You lied to me! You said—-"

"As a matter of fact it turns out I DIDNT know your father, Safi. In the end I had no idea who he was!" Remus cried aloud, swinging his arms out in the air.

"The way things went that day I barely knew who I was let alone Sirius! Seems not even his closest friends knew who the bloody hell he was. So no!" he spat turning to stare Safi down, "I had no idea who your father was. Or what he was capable of".

The woods rang silent then, only the hot breaths of Safi wrenching out of her body as she fought back hitting the poor man, but she figured he'd been hurt enough.

And really, she'd been hurt enough too.

"Harry hates me now" she whispered then, unbidden tears piercing her eyes. She hastily wiped them away, not wanting to cry in front of Remus, but she cried all the same.

Remus just stared at her, his own anger and years of pain pooling in his scared eyes.

"He's your brother, Saf" he whispered back, moving away from her, the light catching the tears that fell down his cheeks, "he's the only family you have" he choked with a gentle cry.

It was then that Safi's mind lit up, and a burning filled her chest as an image started to fantasise in her mind like the clearest recall she'd ever known, like the memory had never even left her mind.

She was just a baby, being held gently in the arms of her mother, when Remus walked into the room, but he was much younger then, with so many less scars.

He simply walked across the room, the biggest smile on his face, as he knelt beside the chair her mother was seated in.

Remus smiled at Safi, and baby Safi smiled back, and she reached out and put her tiny fist in his hand, letting out a squeal of delight.

And everything was sweet.

And then, everything was gone, and Safi was back in the forest.

"Uncle Moony" Safi suddenly cried, her voice echoing across the forest, stirring everything around her.

In front of her, Remus stiffened, but his eyes widened, and even, just maybe, his eyes brightened.

"That's what I should've been, Uncle Moony" he said sullenly, shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets, "instead I'm a stranger, I'm nobody..."

Safi shook her head immediately, and reached forward and slammed into the scarred man, wrapping her arms fiercely around him like the worlds most loving python.

"We can't change the past, but we can look to the future, we could all be like it should've been" Safi stammered out, her voice loud and sure.

Remus let out a sad laugh, shaking his head down at her as he pulled away from her hug.

"If you had any idea of what I really was, you'd never hug me again—"

"Oh shut the fuck up!" Safi groaned, slapping him on his arm, "you wolf out occasionally, so what? People have sudden out bursts all the time it doesn't mean—"

"Sudden outbursts?!" Remus cried, absolutely appalled. "Being a werewolf is hardly akin to a sudden outburst".

Safi simply shrugged.

"Potato, potahto" she said.

Then, Remus froze, and Safi's words hit him like a hippogriff.

"How did you...how did you find out?" he whispered to her, his stance growing defensive and scared.

Safi immediately shook her head with a smile.

"Believe me when I say I'm sorry I found out, but it was out of my control, I had a vision and—oh shit I'm not supposed to tell people that- but who cares now we both know each others secrets!" she rambled excitedly.

"Point is that we need to move forward together! And you can help me get Harry back!" Safi squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down, the soft soil smooshing beneath her boots.

Remus stared down at her, and Safi could see he was in a sort of daze, but even a blind troll could tell, for the first time in a long time, Remus felt hope.

"You know, your mother told me that you'd grow up to be the sort of person people couldn't say no to" he said coyly, a small smile growing on his face.

Safi just let out a laugh, and she wrapped her arms back around him, back around her Uncle Moony.

* * *

"And what is the key ingredient for a pepperup potion?" Hermione prodded with a roll of her eyes and a stifled yawn.

Safi stuck her tongue out in concentration, huffing out puffs of air.

"Uhhhh" she dumbly moaned, scratching her head. "Is it—-"

"If you say Merlin's ballsack sweat one more time I'm never studying with you again" Hermione suddenly warned, her lips thinning as she raised a brow dangerously.

Safi leaned back in her seat with an offended squeak.

"How dare you accuse me of such things, 'Mione!" the blonde said with a dramatic head shake.

Hermione just stared at her from across the library study bench, her brown eyes silently accusing her.

Safi squirmed underneath her gaze, and finally she snapped, throwing her arms up in the air madly.

"Alright! You got me! Is Merlin's glorious ballsack sweat the answer?!" Safi angrily whispered, her eyes darting to the side in case Madam Pince's hearing decided to be sonar today.

Hermione let out a contempted huff, pushed her chair out, and shuffled away, her arms full with large and aged books.

Safi blubbered, completely flabbergasted, but it was no use trying to get the bushy haired witch back. Once Hermione's good graces had been bruised then you had to wait at least 2-5 business days for her to calm down and return to normal.

Safi slumped back in her chair and let out a gentle huff, her hair puffing up from her breath of air.

"Very interesting idea for a new potion ingredient, Miss Psoft"

The blonde snapped her head to the left, and her brow immediately creased as none other than the headmaster came out of the shadows of the library alcove, his withered hands steeples across his chest.

Safi stared up at him, crossing her arms across her chest defensively.

To be perfectly honest, Dumbledore and Safi had never really gotten along. It was mostly on Safi's side that she felt the heeby jeebies whenever the professor talked to her. She never had a solid reason to dislike him, but she always trusted her gut, and her gut absolutely despised the wizened wizard.

"I think it'll be all the rage soon, just you wait" Safi retorted tersely, looking him up and down.

The headmaster raised a brow at her, but simply inclined his head at her.

"I was wondering if there had been any new developments regarding your social situation with Mr Potter" he asked, a wave of mystery clouding his intentions.

Safi's face twitched sadly, before she put on her usual blanked face that usually came when she spoke to the headmaster.

"No new developments, sir. Having a serial killer for a father makes 'social situations' a bit tense" she snapped, tutting under her breath at the old man.

Dumbledore ducked his head slightly but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes I suspect it would. But then I also suspect that you'll be quite alright. If anyone could handle this infamous parentage it would be you, Miss Psoft"

Safi rolled her eyes.

"I suppose people should be calling me Safinya Black now" Safi scoffed.

But surprisingly, Dumbledore solemnly shook his head.

"Oh I think not, Safi. After all, you wouldn't want people to think you'd forsaken your mothers name".

Safi's face softened, and she hated to admit it, but he was right. The lump sum total of what Safi knew of her mother was that she was a righteous woman who had overcome such things in her life as a horrible family and the deaths of those she loved. She also knew it that Lorna Psoft was perhaps one of the angriest women Hogwarts had ever seen. And for that, Safi was impossibly proud of her parentage.

"In fact..." Dumbledore suddenly spoke, knocking Safi out of her reverie, "I have something for you".

Safi opened her mouth to say something, but as Dumbledore removed the item from out of the concealment of his sleeves, she was immediately silenced.

In the wizards hands, was a small, brown leather journal, with tight string binding criss-crossing up the spine, and gold filigree embellishments along the sides.

And written, in impossibly soft, gold writing, was the name 'Lorna Psoft'.

Safi let out a gentle gasp, and she took the journal from the headmaster, feeling like the journal in her hands was something destined just for her.

And in that moment, Safi could swear her mother was smiling down on her, and she was proud her daughter had her diary, like it was just meant to be.

With no more words to say, Dumbledore slipped away and out of sight, and Safi stared down at the diary, not even needing to read it yet, only feeling content to simply stare at it, and know it's existence was real.

It was now like, Safi had her mother with her. And for the first time in a long time, Safi felt hope.


	13. My Safi

Cherie hissed in pain, flinging her hands madly at her sides as she let out a string of creative words.

"Goddamn puffin drooling Merlin hugging mother flipping mandrake chewing—-"

"Whoa now, Cher" Safi laughed, looking down at her exploding snap cards, rearranging them meticulously, "no need to swear like a fucking docker".

Cherie glared at her, picking up her scattered cards from off the common room ground, dusting them off madly.

"You could go easy on me, y'know, some of us aren't as talented in exploding snap" Cherie mumbled under her breath, shoving her braids out of her face aggressively.

A wry smirk grew on Safi's face, and she couldn't help but let out an ungracious laugh, keeping quiet in case she accidentally said something particularly insulting to her best friend.

The game continued on, with Cherie getting madder and madder every snap, and Safi laughing more and more.

It was all fun and games, quite literally, until they were interrupted when Ron ran into the common room, completely soaked to the bone in vinegar.

Safi threw her head back and let out a raucous laugh at the site of the doused boy, falling against the plush couch as Ron stared at her madly.

"Shutup, Safi! It's not my fault your stupid common room has a barrel of vinegar over the door" the redhead grumbled, attempting to shove his hands in his pockets, but finding them full of vinegar, making a gross squelch.

The room rang with Safi's laughs, while Cherie nodded sympathetically to Ron, whipping out her willow wand and zapping the boy bone dry, grinning widely as he shyly nodded at her.

"Thanks, Cherie, but Safi this is—stop laughing, this is important!" Ron demanded, stamping his foot on the ground.

Safi quieted down then, because she knew that anything Ron found important was either something to do with Chudley Cannons, or something to do with Harry.

"Is he okay?" Safi asked immediately, ducking her head, her stomach churning as the possible thoughts of what was happening ran through her mind.

Ron stayed quiet for a moment, and this made Safi even more anxious, and she wracked her brain, begging for an image to come forward as to what was happening, but of course, psychic powers are useless when you need them.

"He's fine, Saf..." Ron informed, rocking back and forth on his shoes meekly, "it's Hagrid, we're going down to...to help him".

Safi raised a brow, but she rose from the couch immediately.

Hagrid, besides Harry, was the first semblance of a kind person that Safi ever received in her short life, and Hagrid was the one who bought them into the wizarding world. Hagrid was nothing but pure legend, and Safi would climb a mountain of fire for that man.

"What's the problem? Do you need me to fight someone? I'll fight someone!" Safi cried, pumping her fists in the air.

Ron just shook his head at her, walking closer to her.

"Unless you're keen to fight the minister of magic, I suggest you keep your fists away" Ron warned seriously, his eyes going wide.

Safi chuckled, "shit, I'll fight the geezer, age doesn't worry me! I'll fight a grandpa, I'm not scared" she said completely seriously. But then Safi paused and she began to frown. "Wait, why is the minister of magic getting involved with Hagrid?".

Ron shook his head madly, reaching forward and latching his hand onto Safi's arm, hauling her out of the common room door and down Hogwarts halls.

"I'll explain everything on the way".

* * *

"...so basically Draco threw a hissy fit and his daddy dearest is now suing a hippogriff and has sentenced him to death?" Safi asked, stopping Ron, halting them both on the hill down to Hagrid's hut.

Ron nodded, his red hair bobbing up and down, looking surprising more unkempt than her own wild locks.

"That's the story, stupid Draco, he always has to ruin everything! That's exactly what you'd expect from a bloody Slytherin" Ron hissed, grumbling as he jogged down the hill, keeping pace with Safi.

Safi groaned, rolling her eyes, "don't push your house racism on me, Ronald Weasley" Safi warned, nearly tripping over a jutted out stone. "But you're right, what a fucking prick".

Ron rolled his eyes back at her, but held out his hand to steady her, which Safi took with a sly grin, she wanted to tease him but she decided to just let Ron be chivalrous.

Safi had a great soft spot for Ron, she knew so well how he struggled with himself and expressing his feelings, and she knew it landed him in spots where he either appeared stupid or just mean. But she knew deep down he cared more than most, and she loved him all the same, adding him as another brother to her growing list of wishful family.

Before Safi could blink, they finally arrived straight at Hagrid's hut, and he welcomed them in with a thin smile, and Safi walked in fully ready to make Hagrid a loving cup of tea, but then she saw Harry seated on the couch in the corner of the hut.

Her breath halted in her throat completely, and her heart began to thunder like a storm.

Harry stared at her, his eyes wide and his brow creased, and he froze completely as she stared back at him.

Her immediate instinct was to cross the room and wrap him in her arms, but she couldn't, and it was one of the most painful things she could do to hold herself back from her adopted brother.

The whole room was as still and as calm as the black lake, and you could cut the tension with a blunted butter knife, until Hermione took the initiative, and stood up and huffed madly, stamping her foot on the ground.

"Oh you're both just two stubborn idiots!" she cried madly, crossing her arms across her chest, her frizzy hair puffing about her face.

Harry ducked his head, and Safi could easily sense he was clearly in a battle with his own feelings, but she knew he couldn't face her, not just yet, so she bowed her head.

"Hagrid, I'm sorry" she whispered to the gentle giant, slipping her hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze before she made for the door and bolted out, the door slamming shut behind her.

Safi barely made it onto the school grounds before she collapsed, falling to her knees in the dewy grass, hot tears screaming down her face, not even realising or caring that she was but a few feet from the whomping willow.

The poor little blonde girl down on the wet ground crying is rather a pathetic site to see. But it's made even more pathetic as a big black dog came waddling up to her.

The thin animal licked at her tears meekly, and Safi lifted her hand gently to his greying muzzle. She shook her head as she sobbed, letting out an awful cry.

The animal whined, nuzzling closer to her, but Safi couldn't even move, only her body shaking with wreaking sobs.

Suddenly, she was struck with a thought, and she reached into her pocket, and she suddenly remembered her mother's diary.

Her sobs ceased, and she took comfort in just having her hand rest upon the small journal, feeling it's weight and its words safe under her hand.

For the first time in her life, it was like she truly had a piece of her mother with her, like she was actually right there with her, rubbing her daughters back as she sobbed in the grass with a strange, black dog.

She gently took the diary out from her pocket, just relishing in holding it in her hand. She looked it all over, the best bit about it being her mother's name written in golden scrawl.

Safi opened it to the first page, and the dog started wagging his tail like a mad man, shuffling closer to her as if he wanted to read the diary too.

The first page was nothing, except a few drawings of flowers that were enchanted to bloom across the page, and of course, in big letters, 'property of Lorna Psoft' in neat and gentle writing.

Safi pressed her fingers to the writing and she smiled, turning the first page over, and the dog buried his head in the crook of her elbow, and Safi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling for some reason like her parents where finally with her, after all this time.

But no sweet moments seem to last for Safi, as in that moment, of course a fat rat scurried past her, and soon after, Ron came bolting like a kid at Christmas right after the ugly rodent. And then came Hermione, and then came Harry.

"What the fuck?" Safi cried shoving the diary back in her pocket and rising to her feet.

Then there was no time to think, as Ron's screams landed on Safi's ears, and she gasped, as the same black dog bolted past her, through Harry and Hermione, and dragged Ron straight into the Whomping Willow.

"WhaT THE FUCK?!" Safi screamed, running up to Harry and Hermione, the tension between them suddenly falling away at the situation at hand.

Ron's screams could still be heard, as Safi's instinct suddenly kicked in, and she ran faster than she knew she could and dove straight into the hole after Ron.

She barely had time to register her surroundings, before she was dashing straight after the sounds of screams mixed with the sound of dog growls.

"IM COMING RON" she screamed, and she would've normally giggled at those words too if the situation wasn't so completely fucked.

She made her way through the tunnel, tripping over in the dirt multiple times, gaining countless bruises and scrapes, but she didn't care, she was just begging that Ron wasn't being eaten alive by that damned dog.

She suddenly began to see light up ahead, and she even began to hear the voices and steps of Harry and Hermione behind her, which meant she had backup against this fucking rabid canine.

Safi finally came upon a hatch and she took no time taking her wand out and staring deadly at the latch.

"Bombarda!" she cried, waving her wand purposefully, relishing in the explosion of the hatch, shielding her face as bits went flying past her. She then dangerously and uncautiously lifted herself, and immediately found herself in a dusty and disgusting room, with Ron simpering in the corner, still holding on to that blasted rat.

"Ron! Are you okay?!" Safi cried, sliding on the floor in front of him, clutching at his injured leg.

Ron hissed in pain, but immediately started sobbing, and then just as Harry and Hermione arrived, he pointed with a stare like death at the space ahead of them, right behind a door where a shadow was hiding.

"It's a trap! He's the dog! He's an animagus!" Ron cried, his whole body wreaked with shakes as he sobbed in fear.

Slowly, and almost frozen with fear, everyone in the room turned to look to that shadow behind the door, and then everyone saw, as Sirius Black emerged out of the dark and into the light.

Safi, if she was honest, couldn't feel anything, she was almost sure her heart wasn't even beating in that moment, she just remembers rising to her feet, and suddenly she was running across the room and she was standing over her father, her wand poised straight at his throat, and he was staring up at her, and she realised, he had grey eyes, just like her.

Sirius stared into her eyes, as Safi finally took in a ragged breath, feeling her lungs burn and her eyes sting.

Suddenly, Harry came up behind her and pulled her off of her father, gently lowering her to the ground, ignoring as she dug her nails into his skin.

"He's gonna kill you, Harry, you have to run, you have to run, you have to run—" she rambled erratically, her body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

Harry hugged her close, and Safi felt like it was an eternity since they'd ever even seen eachother, and now he was holding her close.

"He'll get what's coming to him" he whispered in her ear, before he attempted to bolt across the room, wand poised dangerously, before Remus burst into the room, his own wand poised the same way.

"Expelliarmus!" he cried, his scarred face marred with barely held anger, the kind of anger someone has had inside them for too many years, and he stared at Sirius with more venom and bitterness than anyone should have inside them.

"Well, well, Sirius, looking rather ragged aren't we?" Remus taunted, standing over her father, wand pointed deadly down at him, "finally the flesh reflects the madness within..." he spat, turning his wand threateningly in hand.

Safi watched as her father shook on the floor, twitching madly.

"Well...you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus" Sirius stammered, looking up at Remus with mild fear.

For a second, Remus's face twitched, and Safi's heart leapt into her throat, and she was almost certain Remus was going to kill her father right there where he lay.

But no, Remus began to smile, and he lowered his wand, offering his hand down to Sirius, to which her father took graciously.

The 4 children collectively frowned at the sight of Remus and Sirius hugging, and then even more at the sight of them whispering to each other.

But then, of course as inconveniently as it always came, Safi then had a vision.

 _~It was a few days before Halloween, and the small house in Godric's Hollow was decorated to the max, complete with enchanted paper ghosts that floated around the house and pumpkins that occasionally let out a mad chuckle._

 _Sirius, looking like the kind of rebellious boy that your mother warned you about, was laughing on the couch with James Potter and another lump of a boy, and they were all smiles and rosy cheeks._

 _James was suddenly called by Lily into the kitchen, and Sirius then leaned over to the mousy looking boy, and all traces of smiles were gone from Sirius's face, replaced completely with a worried face and a serious stare._

 _"Peter, please! We've got to change! People are after me-I just know it. You've got to be the secret keeper, not me! Please Pete!" Sirius begged, clapping his hand to Peters pleadingly, holding the boy close._

 _Peter looked to Sirius with wide eyes, and Safi could feel something deep in the back of Peter's mind, and then, something clicked inside of her mind._

 _"Sure, Padfoot" Peter said assuredly, "I'll do_ it"~

Safi gasped loudly, coming back to the small room, and she looked to see Hermione screaming at Sirius and Remus.

"No! I trusted you! And all this time...you were his friend..." she muttered angrily, before turning her head to Safi, Ron and Harry. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been—-"

"It was Peter! He was the secret keeper!" Safi screamed suddenly, causing everyone in the small room to freeze.

Safi then clapped a hand over her mouth, and she fell to the ground, fresh tears stinging her eyes once more, and she shook her head fervently, turning to Harry.

"Harry it was Peter! Peter Pettigrew- he's the one that betrayed your parents, not my dad—-"Safi cried fervently, banging her fists on the ground, the wood creaking under her blows.

Then, the whole room was quiet, her screams echoing in their ears. And for a moment, everything was almost forgotten as everyone looked to Safi, seeing her broken and on the floor.

But slowly, and ever so gently, Sirius moved to the floor in front of Safi, and he bent down, falling to his knees, and they locked eyes, and they saw they were both crying, and then he had his arms around her, and Safi broke all over again.

"You called me dad" he whispered in her ear.

Safi sobbed, and she held onto him, like he was the only thing in the world, but in that moment, he was.

But in a second he was gone again, as he stood up and turned back to Remus, the feverish and shaking taking over him again, like he was about to do the most needed thing in the world.

Remus and Hermione were talking about something, but their words were falling deaf on Safi's ears, until she heard her father start screaming.

"Enough talk!-" Sirius said then, madness growing in his eyes, "Remus, c'mon, let's kill him!" he screamed, flinging his arms around madly.

Remus shook his head mildly, putting an arm out to stop him. "Wait—"

"I DID MY WAITING" Sirius screamed, "12 YEARS OF IT! IN AZKABAN!" he cried raggedly, his chest rising crookedly, his breath audibly constricted and laboured, like he's just been beaten within an inch of his life.

Safi finally rose to her feet, and wiped her tears away, as Remus quickly passed his wand to Sirius, but not before passing a look to Harry.

"Very well...kill him. But wait 1 more minute, Harry has the right to know why—"

"I know why!" Harry suddenly shouted bitterly, stalking closer towards Remus and Sirius, "you betrayed my parents! You're the reason they're dead!" he spat.

Safi flinched at his words, and she saw, so did her father.

"No, Harry! Someone did betray your parents but it was somebody who until quite recently, I believed to be dead!" Remus explained urgently, feeling the feverish jitters of Sirius behind him.

"Who was it then?!" Harry suddenly spat.

"Peter Pettigrew!" Safi and Sirius said simultaneously, both spitting out the name like it was poisonous to the body.

"And he's in this room! Right now!" her father continued madly, swinging his arms about, "come out come out, Peter! Come out come out and play!" he cried out.

Suddenly, like a leech latching onto a body, none other than Snape burst into the room, expelling the wand out of Sirius's hand.

Everyone in the room took a step back, except Safi and Harry, who stood their ground.

"Uh, vengeance is sweet..." Snape said grossly, like a kid in a candy store, his wand raised at her father, "how I hoped I'd be the one to catch you—" he spat. Remus attempted to intervene, but was immediately shut down. "I did tell Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle and now...here's the proof!" he cried victoriously, backing Sirius and Remus into the corner of the room.

Safi frowned deeply, glaring at Snape across the room, and she slowly began to reach for her wand.

Sirius let out a gentle laugh, raising his hands defensively. "Brilliant, Snape! Once again you put your keen mind to the task and come to the wrong conclusion" he sassed surprisingly, and in that moment, Safi was glad, completely and utterly glad that Sirius Black was her father. "Now IF you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to—"

Her father was cut off as Snape pressed his wand straight into his throat, pushing him backwards.

"Give me a reason, I beg of you" Snape taunted, shaking his head with a sickening smile.

Remus shook his head nervously, "Severus don't be a fool—-"

"He can't help it, it's a habit!" Sirius interjected, and a smirk raised on Safi's face, as her hand finally reached her wand concealed in her jacket.

"Sirius be quiet" Remus snapped.

"Be quiet yourself!" Sirius retorted.

Snaps rolled his eyes, "oh look at you two, quarrelling like an old married couple-"

"And look at you" Safi interjected, making all heads turn to her as she stood their, tear marks down her face, and her wand raised straight at Snape, "acting like the biggest cunt of the century" and with that, she flipped her wand, and cried out, "expelliarmus!" and relished, as Snape flew through the wall and landed unconscious.

Hermione and Ron gasped loudly, but Harry came up beside her, his own wand raised, and Safi knew then he had the same plan as her, but she'd gotten their first like usual.

"Safi! What did you just do" Ron guffawed, barely raising himself on his arms as he stared gobsmacked.

"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione gasped.

Harry came forward, raising his wand at Sirius, and Safi could immediately sense his anger.

"Tell me about Peter!" he cried, nodding to Remus and Sirius.

Remus, being completely over all of this, bent in half and already so done. "He was at school with us, we thought he was our friend!" he shouted, begging to make Harry and the others understand.

But Harry was feeling a whirlpool of emotions, and he kept his wand poised as his brow creased in anger and utter confusion.

"No! Pettigrew is dead—" he said, then he pointed his wand straight at Sirius, which made Safi tense up, "—you killed him".

But Remus immediately moved in front of Harry's wand, shielding Sirius.

"No! That's what I thought too, until you said you saw him on the map!" he cried, begging Harry to understand.

Harry just got more angered by the second, which Safi completely understood.

"So the map was lying?!" Harry said, it sounding more like a question than an answer.

"The map NEVER lies!" Sirius shouted, "Pettigrew's alive, and he's right there!" he announced, pointing straight to the seedy rodent in Ron's hand.

But Ron just frowned and moved backwards further into the corner of the room.

"Me?! He's mental!" Ron screamed.

Sirius sighed madly, squinting his eyes. "Not you! Your rat!" Sirius answered, and suddenly, it all clicked into Safi's mind.

"He's right, Ron! Peter is an animagus too, just like me, it's scabbers!" Safi cried out, moving forward next to Ron, just to see the guilty rat squirm madly in his hands.

Ron looked up to Safi with wide eyes, blubbering as he shook his head fervently.

"Not scabbers! It can't be! He's been in my family for 12 years—-" but then Ron paused, realising his own words, and he looked down at the rat in his hands, and back up at Safi with a bleak look.

"He's missing a toe isn't he!?" Sirius called out, and suddenly everyone else in the room began to feel the story slide into place.

"Show me" Harry demanded, and Sirius obliged, immediately nabbing at the rat in Ron's hands, and Ron, trusting Safi's words, gave it to him.

Sirius, holding the rat by the scruff of its neck, set it down on the piano, where he immediately began to run away, making Sirius and Remus fling spells at him madly. Peter scattered across the room, until he tried to dash out through the door, only to find himself transformed back into the despicable human he is, and to be pulled back into the room by Sirius and Remus.

Safi looked down at the man, and sneered. He was filthy, and he suited being a rat perfectly, a man with a cowardly face.

Peter looked up at Sirius and Remus and knew perfectly well that he was absolutely done for.

"Remus...Sirius!" he tittered, snivelling a little bit, making Safi sigh in disgust," my old friends!" he called out, before dashing forward in a feeble attempt to make a run for it, only to be pushed back.

Peter, knowing he stood no chance begging Remus and Sirius, he turned to Safi.

The man fell to his knees in front of her and she stumbled back, sneering down at him like the piece of shit he was.

"Safinya! Sweet girl!" Peter bellowed, practically praying at her feet, "I knew your mother well! Lorna was so kind to me, she was the nicest woman I knew—-"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY LORNA'S NAME!" Sirius screamed out, his voice tearing at the mention of his wife's name, "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO MY DAUGHTER" he spat, chasing Peter around the dusty piano.

Remus cornered him, and pointed his wand straight at Peter. "You sold Lily and James and Lorna to Voldemort, didn't you!" he accused bluntly, his voice cracking at the mention of all their names, all his friends.

Peter snivelled weakly, crying out, "I didn't mean to! The dark lord—you have no idea the weapons he possesses! I thought of Sirius, of what you would have done! What would you have done?" he sobbed.

"I WOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius howled, "I WOULD'VE DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY MY FRIENDS! I WOULD'VE DIED RATHER THAN SEE MY WIFE BE KILLED!".

Peter scurried away again, sobbing at Sirius's words, only to run straight up to Harry and clasp his arms straight around him, whispering something in his ear, only to be pulled back again by Sirius and Remus once more.

"You should've realised, Peter! That if Voldemort didn't kill you then we would! TOGETHER!" Remus cried, and he and Sirius raised their wands and—-

"NO!" Harry yelled, and everyone in the room stopped, and all eyes turned to Harry.

Remus shook his head despondently. "Harry...this man—".

"—-I know what he's done" Harry snapped, walking forward, his head held high, but Safi could see a longing in his eyes, and she knew he was wrestling with himself, he had almost wanted to see Peter die, "but we'll take him to the castle".

Peter immediately began begging at Harry's feet, only to be kicked away.

"Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle, after that, the dementors can have you" Harry said solemnly.

Peter snivelled in pure fear, and Safi's brow furrowed, and she let out a little laugh, which drew all eyes to her, only for everyone to see her stalk forward to Peter and leap straight at him her fists pounding straight into his face.

Blow after blow into his ugly little rat face, and Safi felt her blood boil over, not even feeling her knuckles bleed or her bones creak, only relishing the feeling of beating her mother's killer, and only one thing kept repeating in her mind:

This man is the reason you don't have a family.

It was only until she was pulled off of Peter's body, did she realised she'd knocked him out cold, and his face was hardly recognisable under all that blood.

She looked up at Harry who had pulled her back, and he held her close, and just stayed there, holding her, and then holding her closer as she began crying.

Her sobs echoing throughout the whole of the shrieking shack, so full of sadness and anger that they sounded like a ghosts haunted wail, she cried and cried and cried.

And she only stopped, when her father slid down to the floor beside her, and wrapped his arms around, pulling him right against his chest.

Safi breathed a sigh of relief, such a sigh she'd been waiting to let go of since the day she was taken from him.

"I've got you" he whispered, holding her as close as humanely possible, "I've got you, my Safi".


	14. Bear with me

Harry, Sirius and Safi all lugged together, carrying Ron as gently as possible out of the shrieking shack and into the world. Safi holding onto his legs, hoisting them up to hip height while her father and Harry held an arm each around them.

Fuck it was weird for Safi to actually think that. "Her father" not anyone else's father, not a dream of a father, but a living, breathing dad, her very own father.

She looked back, her eyes immediately meeting his, and she felt herself smile wider than they think she's ever smiled before.

And her father smiled back at her, then he began to bark out laughter as Safi tripped over a root, accidentally bumping Ron in the process, making the poor boy shriek in pain.

"Watch it, Ron, nearly tripped there, stop going so fast" Safi sassed, smirking at his red, angry face, his brows dropped deeply.

"Shutup, Safi" Ron grumbled madly, hissing in pain as they went a little too fast, making Safi grin at him meekly, her eyes making a silent apology.

Safi once again couldn't help herself, and she looked back to her dad, making sure once more he was really there, and when she saw he was looking straight back at her again, she knew he was doing the exact same thing.

Sirius sent a sweet wink Safi's way, which made her laugh, and then he heard Ron hiss again, and his face softened, and he gently moved Ron's arm further across his shoulders.

"Sorry about the bite...reckon that twinges a bit" Sirius offered shyly, looking at Ron sympathetically.

Ron threw his head back, rolling his eyes madly. "A bit? A bit?!" he hollered unbelievably, "you almost took my leg off!".

Her father ducked his head, "I was going for the rat!" he moaned, readjusting his grip on Ron.

Safi let out a chuckle, "honestly, Dad. You're a horrible mutt, all bark and all bite" Safi snickered, holding Ron's legs closer as they went around a winding corner.

Sirius inhaled dramatically, taking complete and utter offence. "Normally I have a very sweet disposition as a dog. More than once James suggested that I make the change permanent, but Lorna had a few things to say about that" he laughed, his eyes twinkling in the darkness. "Now the tail I could live with- but the fleas, they're murder" he grimaced, shaking his head animatedly.

Safi chuckled madly whilst Harry choked on his breath and began coughing like a train. The blonde girl then realised, her and Harry had somewhere in the midst of all that just happened worked things out, and the world fell into the exact place it should be; with Safi and Harry as a family again.

Except the only difference now, was that Safi had a father, and Harry had a god parent, and everything was it would've been.

Soon, they reached the top, and everyone took a breather, with Harry, Sirius and Safi all lowering Ron carefully to the ground.

It was nightfall now, but the moon was hidden somewhere amongst the cloud bank, but the stars were all alight, and it seemed they were all shining down upon them all.

Safi looked to Harry, who was looking at Ron meekly from the corners of his eyes, until he caught sight of Safi staring, and he ducked his head, refusing to meet her eye.

The blonde girl's heart twinged and tweaked as she looked at her brother, feeling his guilty emotions from where she stood. She thought about berating him for a moment, even calling him out on his bullshit. But she didn't, instead she ran over, tackling him to the ground, and hugged him tighter than she ever had before.

"Geroff!" Harry mumbled, his face getting smooshed straight into the grass.

Safi let out an ungracious laugh, squishing her face against his chest and holding him even tighter, laughing more as he struggled dramatically.

"Don't think I will, Potter!" Safi whispered not so quietly, her laughs echoing around the night sky and around them all. But where it echoed most, was straight into Harry's mind, and then he stopped struggling against her hug, and instead fell into it.

Safi was still then, ignoring the ache of her muscles as she kept holding on tight. It didn't matter how much her arms hurt. After all, she had been hurting for months now without Harry by her side.

"I'm sorry, Saf...I'm so sorry" he spoke softly, just enough so she alone could hear it. "I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have said any of it, I was just so angry and I'm—-"

"Shutup you big dumb bastard" Safi whispered back, her heart soaring at his words. She finally got the closure she needed, and it couldn't have come in a more perfect moment.

Slowly, Safi and Harry got back up, embracing each other once more, only stopping when Sirius came wondering over silently, his eyes focused on the silhouette of Hogwarts over the hills, shining in the starlight.

He seemed just so content, and Safi realised it must be for the first time in 12 years that he could actually breathe free air, and feel a feeling of happiness again. It made her want to cry. She could never understand what he's been through, but maybe she could try, after all, now they had all the time in the world with each other.

Safi and Harry sidled up silently either side of Sirius, and looked out onto Hogwarts, each breathing easy, the cool night air tussling their clothes.

"It's beautiful isn't it..." Sirius said wistfully, his eyes twinkling like the stars above. "I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man".

Safi's heart broke at the sound of her fathers voice, so broken and beaten and quiet. But she knew for now, he was utterly overjoyed, in the presence of the only family he had left, the family that should've been with him all along.

Sirius gently slung his arm around Safi, pulling her close to his side. Safi could feel his ribs poking out underneath his prison uniform, and she decided then and there that the first thing she'd do as his daughter was make him eat the biggest plate of food she could ask the kitchen elves for. After all, comfort food was the second best comfort of all, right next to hugs.

Her father then turned to Harry, nodding proudly at him. "That was a noble thing you did back there...but he doesn't deserve it" he said quietly, venom seeping into his voice at the mention of Peter. Safi felt the anger roll off of him in waves, and his anger joined hers too, but at least she got a good few punches in.

"Well I just don't think my dad would've wanted his two best friends to become killers" Harry said, nodding assuredly, "nor would your wife" Harry added, smiling at Safi brightly. "And besides, dead; the truth dies with him. Alive; you're free" Harry concluded smartly.

And Safi, for one of the rarer times in her life, was actually gobsmacked by how smart Harry's logic was.

Suddenly, behind them, Peter came to, groaning from Safi's blows to the head, and he immediately began begging Ron and Hermione, even saying how good of a pet he was.

Safi just rolled her eyes, "fucking rats" she exclaimed, wrapping her arm around her father and leaning closer into him.

Sirius rested his head against the top of hers. "How did you know I was your father?" he asked, rubbing her arm soothingly, trying to keep her warm in the cold night air.

Safi let out a nervous laugh, "Well...I'm sort of...psychic..." she babbled, looking at him, hoping he wouldn't think she was a nutter.

But no, he just smiled, such a wide smile that Safi thought his face might snap in half.

"Lorna-I mean, your mother had the gift too! She said once when she was pregnant that you'd have the gift. She also said you'd have my eyes" he chuckled deeply, resting his rough hand on her cheek softly, his eyes scanning her face like he was memorising every detail.

Safi laughed gently against him, placing her hand in his. "I've got both of you in me, the perfect mix. But I hear I got all my damned wit from you. How dare you curse me to be the funniest person in Hogwarts" Safi sassed with a wily smirk, making Harry roll his eyes.

"You wish, I'm easily the funniest person in Hogwarts" Harry retorted, lifting his chin proudly.

"Funniest looking maybe" Safi hit back, reaching around behind to pinch him on the ass, making him jump into the air.

Sirius threw his head back and laughed, like he was watching something he'd seen many times before. A Black and a Potter, at it again.

Sirius then turned to Harry, "Harry I don't know if you know this, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your godfather..." he whispered, looking like he was saying something very carefully.

"I know" Harry said straight away, and saying it like it filled him with pride.

Sirius then became quiet, and he was looking back and forth between his daughter and his godson, choosing his words with the utmost care.

"And— Well I'd understand if you'd want to stay with your aunt and uncle Harry, and Safi I know I haven't been around but—-"

"What you mean...come and live with you?" Harry asked, excitement brightening his face like a lit candle.

Safi immediately threw her arms up in the air like a madman taking flight.

"Are you kidding?! Live with my father! OF COURSE I WILL! YOU'RE MY DAD YOU DUMBO" she cried out, her voice bouncing through the woods around them.

Sirius laughed at her energy, and she ran up and clasped her arms around him and Harry like they were the sole things in the world for her, and really, they were.

And the moment was perfect, but of course, everything then went wrong.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled out, immediately drawing all heads to her, and suddenly a light began to shine through the dark sky.

It was the moon.

And suddenly, it all dawned on Safi, that it was a full moon. And Remus was caught out.

Sirius immediately bolted to his best friend, shaking him by the shoulders madly, begging him not to transform. But it was no use.

The professor began screaming out in utter pain, and in the moment he dropped his wand, Peter picked it up off of the ground, only for it to be flicked out of his hand by spell, courtesy of Harry. But it was too late, Peter waved goodbye, transformed into a rat and scurried away.

Safi then decided then and there, that not a single thing is this world was ever going to stand in the way of her, and her family.

She reared backwards, twisting her body and her skin, and she transformed into her bear form, peaking out of her eyes as she towered over the rest of them and immediately went barreling down the hill after that bastard rat.

Ignoring the cries of Harry and the others, she chased after Peter, catching his scent as a bear. Skidding on her paws she raced after him, barely being able to see his small rat form.

Eventually she traced him into the deep woods, nearly ramming straight into a great oak tree, she sniffed the air, begging for the scent to pick up, but she found nothing.

But then, all at once, she caught scent of multiple people, like a group of them had suddenly appeared into thin air.

And before she knew it, a flash of a white mask floated past her and then a bolt of red hit her centre back, and she collapsed to the ground in a heap, hitting her head on a rock, and it all went black.

The last thought on her mind, was the voice of her father.


	15. I'll beat up Draco Malfoy

Safi felt like she had just kissed a blender that was set on fire.

"What the fuck" she mumbled hoarsely, her throat feeling like it was collapsed and her tongue feeling like a desert.

She opened her eyes just a crack, and immediately had to snap them shut, as nothing but pure light was pouring straight in, making her hiss like a damned vampire caught in the sunrise.

"What the fuck?" she mumbled again, attempting to sit up, but strangely finding herself strapped down to the bed.

She then, with severe struggle, flung her eyes open, and was greeted with a mountain of candy at the foot of the bed. "What the fu—-".

"Language, Miss Psoft. And don't open your eyes until you've drunk your last potion!" Madam Pomfrey tutted, coming into view from behind the curtain, her arms full of bandages and potions of all sorts and colours.

Safi snapped her eyes shut, fearing she might go blind if she didn't listen to the school nurse.

"What happened?" Safi again tried to speak, but it sounded more like a growl from a dead bear than her usual sweet voice.

Safi heard the clinking of bottles cease, and she opened her eyes just a tiny bit, and was confronted with Madam Pomfrey's crying face.

The poor nurse raised a hand delicately to her face, wiping away a tear, reaching into her red apron for a yellow handkerchief, blowing her nose rather loudly.

Safi let out a nervous chuckle, "c'mon Pommers, I'm fine! No need to cry, my face is still as gorgeous as ever" she joked lightly, attempting to wink but find her face shooting with pains once more.

But Madam Pomfrey wasn't moved to laugh, instead crying harder than she was before, her sobs echoing around the room.

Safi wracked her brain trying to think of what happened to make her cry, was it her swearing? Was it her breath?

Safi and Madam Pomfrey had always had a strained relationship. After all, you don't get into all the fights Safi has been into and not get closely acquainted with the school nurse. Madam always made sure to fix Safi up nice and quickly for her next fight, even once giving her punching tips. Madam Pomfrey was nothing but pure legend, and she was severely underappreciated within this school. But Safi honestly had no idea why she was crying.

"You were hit with the torture curse, Miss Psoft"

Safi carefully turned her head to the new voice, and her face automatically frowned as Dumbledore came into view.

But then his words sunk in, and her eyes widened, which of course sent waves of virtual fire throughout her face.

Safi's mind whirled and reared, and she was stuck desperately trying to think exactly what the fuck happened.

The last thing she remembered was Remus wolfing out, then of course Peter turned back into a rat, but then he ran away, and she followed him and—oh.

Safi shot up in bed, barking out in pain, but nonetheless she moved forward, swinging her stiff legs out of bed, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's angry cries.

"We gotta get Peter! He's the only one that can save dad—-" then Safi inhaled sharply, but not from the pain. She snapped her head around, looking around the room, and seeing no one but her present company.

She turned to Dumbledore, her face lined with a sheen of sweat and creased with desperate anger and even more desperate pain.

"Where's my father".

Dumbledore raised a brow at her, but beneath it all, Safi thought she saw his face soften somewhat, and even the glean of a smile creep onto his face.

"Oh I've taken care of that" he waved dismissively, his long robe swishing dramatically.

Safi coughed out a laugh, but it really sounded more like she was a dying cat.

"Trust you?! This is my family we're talking about. And where's Harry? Where's everyone else? What happened?!" she cried out angrily, slamming her fists down onto the bed weakly, pain shooting through her whole body.

But Dumbledore just stared softly, his glasses twinkling and his arms crossed calmly over his chest.

"I suggest, for once in your life Miss Psoft, that you trust me, and that above all, you trust Harry" he said mysteriously as usual. Then without another word, he simply up and left, closing the door behind him.

Safi sat in silence for about two seconds, nothing but the sound of Madam Pomfrey sniffling discreetly, until the doors burst open again, and an absurdly ragged looking Harry and Hermione burst in, huffing and puffing like their life depended on it.

Suddenly, Ron, who Safi had absolutely no idea was there, perked up madly.

"How did you get there?! I was talking to you there, and now you're there!" he screeched, and Safi moved the beige curtain aside and peeked out, seeing Ron across the hospital room, his leg covered in bandages and raised up high, and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

Harry and Hermione let out a secret chuckle before turning to each other animatedly, making Safi extremely suspicious.

"Whats he talking about, Harry?" Hermione giggled, her fuzzy hair bouncing with her laughs.

Harry snickered under his breath, "honestly, Ron. How can somebody be in two places at once?".

The pair laughed together, giggling like mad men, until Safi attempted to laugh as well and it turned into her coughing and hacking like a mad man.

Immediately, Harry rushed over, throwing the curtain aside, wrapping his arms around her as gently as possible.

"Saf! You're okay!" he cried ecstatically, peppering kisses all over her forehead.

Safi made a move to slap him away, but her arm locked up and flopped down by her side, making her his out again.

Hermione moved up next to her, feeling her forehead and looking into her eyes, checking for abnormalities.

"Safi, we were so worried. When you ran off alone we just knew something horrible was happening" she spoke softly, her voice laced with utter concern.

Safi's mind was still reeling and she was starting to get mad.

"What the fuck?!" she muttered hoarsely, before another coughing fit took her over completely, her body shaking and creaking.

Harry winced, his eyes scanning her over, wishing desperately he could do anything to help her.

"In the woods...a group of death eaters, they came to pick up Peter..." he whispered softly, his voice guilty and shy.

Safi stilled and her brows moved skyward.

"Are you saying...I tried to take on some death eaters?" she asked slowly, looking pointedly between Hermione and Harry.

The pair looked at eachother, before they both nodded slowly, guilty and sullen looks on both their faces.

The room was silent then, a somber feel filling the quiet void of the room.

But not until Safi burst out laughing.

Harry and Hermione stared at her in confusion, looking at her like she had gone completely mental.

But Safi just kept on laughing, the rather squeaky sound reverberating around the hospital room, and probably even echoing around the whole school.

It was quite a weird sight to be honest. A laughing, pudgy blonde girl all wrapped up in bandages laughing her head off while two people begged her to calm down.

But I suppose in Hogwarts, and especially in Safi's life, things that were weird were often normal as fuck.

As her laughter slowly began to die down, her pain came back all at once, and she doubled over in pain. As Hermione whipped her wand out, Safi held her hand up, shaking her head at the witch.

"No spells. Just tell me what happened. Tell me dads okay" she begged, her face scrunched up in pain, fire shooting through her muscles and veins.

Harry rubbed her back soothingly, and shared a small look with Hermione.

"He's fine, Sirius is fine, but...the rest is a long story..." he warned, looking her precariously in the eyes.

Safi took a long, deep breath, then sat up straight in bed.

"Tell me".

* * *

Safi leaned against her crutches, sighing as she frustratingly slowly made her way over to the great willow tree to the side of the quidditch pitch.

She cursed her slowly healing legs, while also thanking Madam Pomfrey for all she could do, but Safi's bones were nearly to the point of magical fracture, and there's no potion for that. So here she was, hobbling slowly across the quidditch pitch on her damned crutches that were just a little to big to be comfortable.

She huffed out a breath as she finally made her way to her destination, and smiled up to the two Slytherin boys sitting high up in the willow tree.

The two boys in question, none other than Hogwarts most infamous (other than her) Salazar Octaz and Peter McNair.

Salazar Octaz was one goddamn sexy looking boy, matter of fact THE most sexy boy Hogwarts had probably ever seen. He was everything your mother warned you about and more. Thing was, he fascinated Safi to no end. He was a little conundrum which made him ever more enticing. He could often be seen flipping one of his stupid knives, having a proverbial dick measuring contest with Draco Malfoy, or of course being with Peter.

Now Peter, he was probably the gayest boy Hogwarts had ever seen, and he was more out and proud than the boy could handle. Although people never dare gave him shit, not when Sal was on the case.

Safi looked up at the pair of them, and they took a break from probably scheming something, to look back down at her.

Safi tried very hard not to laugh at the fact that Sal was wearing a bright blue mini skirt and she could see right up it, instead she tried to focus on the mission.

"I need your help, Salazar!" she called out, trying as hard as possible to lean casually against her crutches, but then again not giving a shit what they thought, no matter how cool or hot they were.

Sal looked down at her, his literally emerald green eyes sparkling in such an impossible way that Safi probably would've started panting if she wasn't trying so hard to be casual.

"I don't think I've ever heard the great Safinya Psoft ask for help before" Sal purred slyly, looking at the tips of his fingers dramatically.

Safi rolled her eyes, pushing her blonde curls out of her face with a huff, "witty as always, Sal. But really, I require your assistance, and to be honest, it's urgent" she said seriously, swallowing thickly.

Her tone made Sal lean forward, completely intrigued that this self sufficient girl would ask for help.

They stared at eachother, in a silent battle of wills, each testing the other. Safi also took notice of his face, the wind tousling his brown hair, and he grinned, noticing her noticing. And in the end, Safi won, with Sal giving a massive smirk and nodding his head, turning to Peter.

"Whaddya think, Pete? Shall we help the little girl?" he teased, turning to his best friend.

Peter smirked as well, but nodded in unison with his friend.

"What exactly is the help you're asking for, sweetie?" Peter asked genuinely, leaning dangerously forward off the willow branch, his legs swinging in the open air.

Safi let out a deep breath and her lips thinned meekly.

"I need you to spread a rumour for me, you can make up anything you want, but I need people to believe that Sirius Black is not my father" she said solemnly, gazing up seriously at the pair of them.

Sal leaned back and let out a deep breath through his teeth, "big job to do, Psoft. I have to ask, what's in it for us, eh?" he asked slyly, raising a brow cheekily.

Safi cursed herself quietly, she honestly hadn't thought of that. But then, something dawned on her, and she couldn't help the evil grin that grew itself on her face.

"If you spread it, I'll beat up Draco Malfoy" she called up excitedly.

* * *

Safi walked into the great hall, moving immediately to the Gryffindor table, putting her arm gently around Cherie, who had visited her in the hospital, even putting a charm on her crutches to make them more comfortable. She really was the best friend a person could have.

"So, did you get the job done?" Cherie asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Safi rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the little smile on her face, "the job is indeed done".

The blonde girl then leaned closer to Harry, putting her body weight completely on him, laughing as he started screaming out, whacking her carefully so as not to cause her more pain.

"Piss off, Psoft!" he chuckled, pulling her down onto the bench, slinging his arm around her and holding her close.

When she was sat down, he suddenly turned to her, his face completely sunken and serious, and he whispered to her quietly.

"Saf...I wanted to say again, I'm so sorry, sorry for yelling at you, sorry for taking my anger out on you-I mean it's mad. We're family, I shouldn't have—-"

"Shutup, Potter" she snickered, leaning her head into the crook of his shoulder, "I'd already forgiven you before it happened, you dolt".

Harry then looked at her, her words sinking deep into his heart, and he smiled.

No more words would be said about that, the moment put behind them, and they'd begin like they left out, as the family they'd always been.

Suddenly, a sick feeling came over Safi, and that all too familiar brain tickle started in her mind, and she let out a ragged gasp and bolted up in her seat, and wordlessly began heading towards the door, ignoring the questions coming from the Gryffindors.

She hobbled on her crutches as fast as she could down the halls and out the doors, until she came to a stop right out the front of Hagrid's hut.

She didn't even get time to knock on the door, when Remus opened it, and his eyes landed on her, and his eyes softened, looking at her crutches guiltily.

But Safi tutted loudly, shaking her head fervently, "don't you dare start thinking this is your fault, Moony. Or I'll slap you with my crutches" she chuckled, attempting to lift her left crutch but immediately finding it too heavy.

Remus let out a snort, trying to hold in his laughter, but his face turned serious and he bowed his head ashamedly, "If I hadn't had turned...if I'd have been a normal person-".

"Oh piss off, Remus. As if we'd take you any other way than exactly as you are" Safi tutted, groaning as she leant on her leg the wrong way.

"'We'?" he echoed, confusion lacing his tired voice.

Safi nodded, "We, your family, just as we should've been" she smiled.

Remus inhaled a shaky breath all at once, and his eyes completely fell, but he couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face, and he wouldn't have wanted to stop it.

He walked out of the hut, down the stairs, and clapped his arms around the short girl, holding her closely.

"Y'know, Safi. As soon as I ran into you, I began to feel hope again, it's a magical thing you do" he spoke softly in her ear.

And at the same time as he spoke, a vision overcame Safi, and her eyes widened brightly.

~ _Remus stood in a small, but cozy apartment, and a smile etched on itself on his face._

 _And standing across from him, a girl with bright pink hair, the brightest smile on her face, and she had her hands on her very pregnant belly._

 _Remus looked at her, and she looked at him. And they wouldn't have it any other way_ ~

Safi gasped aloud, the vision sliding away, and she hugged Remus tighter, a sly grin growing.

"I think our little family will be just fine, Moony. Just fine".


	16. Taste?

~1 month later~

Safi closed her eyes completely shut, scrunching up her face as she stumbled around the house in complete darkness.

"Where are ya, ya mad bastards?!" she screamed, tripping ungracefully over something jutting out wherever the hell she was.

She huffed, pushing her hair back over her shoulder as she stretched out her hands, trying to find something to grab onto so this damned game would end.

"Marco!" Safi called out.

"POLO!" several voices called back, all in varying tones and locations.

Safi sighed, Charlie had just come back from a round trip to Australia to find and tag some native dragons, when he came across a group of children playing Marco Polo in some caves, now the bastard was obsessed with the game. Charlie had honestly inherited all the muggle curiosity Arthur has, it was a bit cute.

"Marco!" Safi called out again, rubbing at her eyes as she fumbled around blind through the burrow.

She heard a gentle giggle to her left, and someone running around behind her, but just up ahead she heard someone taking very large steps, and she decided to follow after the steps.

She ran forward, which admittedly was a bad plan, but she was still entirely surprised when she fell head over heels running straight at the couch full speed.

Laughs erupted all around her, ringing in her ears like the best kind of music a person could hear.

Safi finally opened her eyes and saw all the people she loved surrounding her, all with varying degrees of concern or lack thereof on their faces.

Harry was the first to rush forward, wrapping her in his arms and trying his best to hoist her up, but in reality he was one lanky ass boy and she was none too thin, she preferred to be called a chubby little cherub, but that just made people feel weird and immediately say she was beautiful, but she knew she was beautiful, but she also knew she was just fat, and that's that.

Safi hissed in pain as she finally made it to her feet, adjusting her salmon coloured jumper which had fallen askew on her body.

"Thanks ya giggling bastard" she snarked sarcastically, clapping him on the back which made him hiss in pain, rubbing the spot meekly.

The rest of the hiding people gathered around, which included Bill Weasley, Hermione, and Cherie.

The gang got together at the very least once a year, and that time once a year resulted in a whole world of raucous shenanigans and debauchery of all sorts, which of course only got worse and worse as they grew up.

This year was the best year yet because Bill came down all the way from Egypt just to be with them all. Bill missed his friends and family more than his bad boy and independent exterior let on, Safi knew he missed them more than anything, it was so adorable.

"Awww, did ickle Safi fall over the lounge" Fred pouted mockingly, his hands swivelling at the corners of his eyes dramatically.

Safi raised her fists, "ickle Safi is gonna beat your ickle ass if you don't shut the ickle up" she warned, pumping her fists at him.

Fred raised his hands defensively, then Molly bustled into the room, shuffling her way to the kitchen, her red apron flicking this way and that.

"Dinner will be ready soon, children! Oh and Bill please put the couch back up—-wait why is the couch knocked over?! Fred!! George!!" Molly screamed, running over to the two boys with her wooden spoon raised high and lethally.

"It was me! Molly, it was me, I ran into it" Safi cried out urgently, raising her hands out in alarm.

Molly immediately stopped, and a sweet look came over her face, spoon dropped back safely into the apron.

"Oh that's alright then dearie" she said wistfully, shuffling back into the kitchen.

Everyone in the room started giggling at the same time, as if they'd all organised it before hand, laughing like nothing in the world mattered, exactly the way Safi liked it.

Before long, people started going off, the night was rolling in over the hills and over the burrow. Most people went to bed immediately, except Safi and Harry, who were waiting up for a visit from Sirius.

It had been a whole month since Harry and Hermione had saved the day with the time turner, setting Sirius and Buckbeak free. A whole month that Safi's had a dad. And oh the things they'd done in just that one month. Despite Sirius having to go in hiding, he always made time for Safi, even making a list of dad and daughter things they just had to do. And honestly, Safi would watch paint dry with her father, just as long as they were together. Safi wouldn't have it any other way, they just had to be patient, and Safi would wait forever for her father to be a free man.

"Think he'll be long?" Harry asked tiredly, stretching his long limbs as he let out a ridiculously high pitched yawn.

Safi shoved automatically grabbed the nearest thing and shoved it in his mouth, which happened to be a carved wooden gnome, to which he gagged and spat it out across the room, with Safi cackling wildly.

"Why don't you go to sleep, huh? I'll wake you up when he comes" Safi offered, still giggling as he scowled.

But he took the offer, curling up like a little kitten on the orange couch, and within minutes he was snoring away softly, off in dream land.

Safi sighed through her nose, trying to resist sleep herself, until boredom salvation came, in the form of George coming down the stairs and towards her with a mysterious purple box.

"I've got a wicked game for you, Saf" he said coyly, "it's called 'try these candies me and George made and tell me if they're good or if they turn you into a duck'".

Safi snorted loudly, which stirred Harry from his sleep and she immediately slapped her hand over her face, muffling her laughs as she silently beckoned George forward, patting the free seat next to her.

George chuckled deeply next to her, and Safi felt the rumble of his chest, trying to pretend it didn't make her feel happy. George put the box in the centre of his lap, and carefully took the lid off, revealing a box with what seemed like an endless amount of innocent jellybeans.

Safi raised a brow at him, abruptly noticing how nice his face looked in the golden lighting of the roaring fire.

"So what's the go? Do they actually turn you into a duck?" Safi asked a little to excitedly.

George grinned widely, and held one up to the light, before dropping it in her hand, "taste it and find out" he replied.

Safi looked down at the little bean, it's colour a bright red, and without a second thought, popped it in her mouth, and immediately smiled.

"How'd you know Cherry was my favourite?" she whispered close to him so as not to wake Harry, savouring the burst of pure flavour in her mouth.

George tapped the tip of his nose cheekily, before putting a little blue bean in her outstretched hand silently.

Safi without hesitation popped it in her mouth and smiled once more.

"It tastes...like what a bubblegum and a watermelon would taste like if they had sweet ass babies" she whispered in his ear, making the boy snicker under his breath.

He then handed her a slightly bigger yellow one, and she swished it around in her mouth, and her eyes lit up.

"Caramel! Isn't that your favourite?" she asked, looking up at him, admiring him in this perfect light, just because she could.

George turned to her, a goofy grin on his face, "Caramel is my absolute favourite!" he whispered excitedly, "I haven't had the chance to taste any yet, but I'd love to taste the caramel one" he whispered back.

Then, suddenly, some utterly sick yet intriguing thought overcame the girl, and she smiled.

"Taste it then" she whispered boldly, and she leaned closer to him, and closed her eyes.

She had absolutely no fucking clue why she said that, and she started sweating. She didn't know anything, that's why she was failing school, but she especially didn't know anything about feelings, all she knew is that George made her laugh and he made her sick sometimes, and this time was a sick and laugh time. Such a confusing thing, to...like someone.

But nothing happened, because she opened her eyes, and she saw his retreating figure go up the stairs and out of sight.

She sat back on the couch, and she let out a deep breath, cursing herself harshly under her breath, hitting herself in the middle of the head with her palm.

"Well that was brutal".

Safi jumped in her seat, whirling her head around, and coming face to face with her dad.

She wasted no time in running straight across the room at him, and she really couldn't help herself, she started crying, and she honestly really didn't know exactly why.

Sirius held his daughter in his arms and shushed her soothingly, patting her on the back, smoothing her hair back gently.

"Shhh, Saf, it's alright. All boys are fucking idiots, every single one" he whispered, holding her as she sobbed into the crook of his shoulder.

Safi sniffled, pulling back, and she kept on crying.

"It wasn't even a good pickup line" she sobbed, wiping her tears away angrily.

Sirius just nodded, his shaggy black curls shaking with his head, looking almost a light brown in the firelight.

"No boy is worthy of you anyway, my little princess" he soothed, running his fingers through her hair, and eventually she stopped crying, and instead started laughing. Then they woke up Harry, and apparated out of the burrow, and Safi soon forgot about the whole thing.

Just kidding, wherever it was they apparated to, she was still sobbing like the worlds most pathetic baby, but hey, such is heartbreak.


	17. Man like a snake

_-Today I found out some major news and to be honest I feel like throwing up a melon but...I'm pregnant! I haven't told Sirius yet but, I think he'll be the best father in the world. Just wait and see, he'll meet my little girl and he'll fall in love...our little Safi_...-

"Saf! Come on, you slow bitch!" Ginny screamed from over the hill, waving her arms up in the air, the wind picking up the girl's red hair.

Safi slowly closed her mother's diary shut, the words her mother wrote making her body feel all warm and fuzzy, just like she'd been given a hug. She'd been reading it ever since it's been gifted to her, one chapter a day, it made her feel like she was looking at her mother's life as she went on with hers, like side by side pictures.

"Coming, you fast bitch!" Safi called back, slotting the leather diary into her yellow backpack, patting it comfortingly.

Safi jogged up the hill, and that's not an easy feat. Safi may be the greatest Hufflepuff chaser ever, but goddamn she and cardio don't know shit about each other, couldn't be more strangers if they tried.

The blonde huffed and puffed, kneeling her elbows on her knees as she sucked in a harsh breath.

"Fuck me you bastards made me run!" Safi screamed, watching through blurry eyes as the gang kept on walking, but really all Safi could see through the tears was a bunch of red blobs moving up a hill.

"Language, Safi!" Arthur called over his shoulder, and as Safi straightened up she realised Arthur had his arm around an unfamiliar man in a tweed coat, behind them, Cedric Diggory.

"Saf, this is Amos, he's keen to meet you!" Arthur chirped as he stood on the balls of his feet and leant back down.

Safi raised her brow in confusion, but nonetheless walked forward and held out her hand, shaking the mans hand strongly to show, just in case he was wondering, that she ain't no weak bitch. But still, people wanting to meet her was strange, usually it was people asking to shake Harry's hand, not hers, and she was completely okay with that.

"Nice to meet you" Safi offered politely, sliding up next to Cedric, giving him a small fist bump before she leaned up on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear, "why does your dad want to meet me?".

Cedric looked down at her and chuckled smoothly, "he loves meeting a fellow Hufflepuff, especially 'worlds angriest Hufflepuff'" he laughed brightly.

Safi looked up at Cedric and elbowed him in the ribs, snorting as he shrieked loudly.

Dear Cedric, how many times he bailed Safi out of whatever shit she had found herself in. He always seemed to be the one that caught her dragging herself into the common room at some unholy hour, usually looking utterly suspicious. And because Cedric was always there to bail her out of sticky situations, she always made sure to help him out, especially with his little Ravenclaw problem aka Cho Chang. After all, Hufflepuffs stick together.

"How's operation 'write her over the break' going?" Safi asked quietly, smiling at Hermione and Ginny who gave eachother a blushing side eye just after looking at Cedric.

Ced ducked his head, but couldn't hide the wide smile on his face if his life depended on it.

"She wrote back, she's been getting into knitting at the moment, she even sent me a scarf, she charmed it so it keeps me warm" he blushed, practically turning into a gooey mess right there next to the tree.

Safi however, was completely tactless, and started screaming out "AWWWWW".

Cedric shoved his hand gently over her mouth and accidentally tackled her to the ground, to which Safi assumed he wanted to actually wrestle, so of course she jabbed him in the ribs until he cried from laughter, tears streaming down his face.

"Get off the boy, Safi! Plenty of time for wrestling when we get there!" Arthur chided, slapping Amos on the back and waving to the group of people, continuing up the seemingly never ending hill.

Safi let go of Cedric and jumped up, just in time to see George give her massive side eye, and Harry give her the biggest glare. She had a sneaking suspicion about why George glared at her, but she knew of course that Harry was just mad about losing last years game to Hufflepuff. And also of course, Cedric was the better seeker. At least, Safi would never admit Harry was as great as he was.

Safi and the others kept on walking for what seemed like hours, until Safi zoned back into reality and realised people were standing around a fucking boot.

"Why are they all standing around that manky old boot?" Harry asked, absolutely and completely confused. And to be honest, Safi didn't have a clue either.

"That's not just any manky old boot mate" George said excitedly, slotting himself on the grass, slapping a hand onto the boot, which of course was the exact position furthest from Safi.

"It's a portkey!" Fred finished, and immediately, Safi jumped a foot in the air and nabbed herself onto the boot, and of course, began laughing her head off as Harry nearly didn't nab onto the boot.

But then, the ground lifted from all around her, and her stomach flipped, and she and everyone were swirling in the vortex of the port key.

The wind whipped her face and Safi choked on the air, trying of course to make some smart ass remark, but her voice was lost in the swirling vortex. But obviously, not the others.

"Let go, kids!" Arthur called, his voice straining to be heard against the roar the port key made.

Safi, of course heading no warning, immediately let go, and as soon as she realised that she was falling so fast, she screamed. But as she was slammed into the ground, she realised it wasn't grass she fell on top of. It was George.

He looked at her, and she at him, hoping the expression on her face properly conveyed the sheer amount of confusion she felt at him leaving her kissless and bawling on the couch.

But apparently it didn't, because he put on the worlds stupidest grin, and shoved her off of him, and he chuckled as if nothing had even happened. That fucker.

"Watch it, Saf! Don't kill me yet, Ireland hasn't even crushed Bulgaria yet!" he chuckled, leaning on his elbows in the grass all nonchalant.

Safi raised a brow, but didn't say anything else, but in fact her heart hurt a bit, maybe even more than a bit, in fact so much so she didn't even have it in her to punch his pretty face in. So instead, for the first time in her life, she stood up and walked away without another word. And then of course, she finally took in her surroundings, which left her completely shook.

Safi didn't think so many different types of tents even existed, but here she was, among a literal fuck tonne of tents of all shapes and colours. She saw a purple one shaped like an elephant, she saw one with a smoking chimney, even a stupid one with peacocks out the front of it, strutting around like they owned the place. Fuck, wizards are mental, but damn they get creative.

Admittedly when they got to their designated tent she was quite disappointed, but as soon she she entered she was grinning like a big idiot, and she saw Harry was grinning just the same. Dammit, she loved magic.

Safi let out a contented sigh, but as soon as she put her bag down to relax, she was pounced upon by Fred and Ginny, who shoved an Irish flag right in her face and started screaming the Irish national anthem completely too loud and entirely off key.

It wasn't long before it was time for the game to start, and Safi, with her face painted half red half black for maximum Bulgarian pride, began climbing the stairs two at a time, her sheer excitement for the game overtaking the fact that she was actually climbing an insurmountable amount of stairs.

"Blimey dad! How far up are we?!" Ron complained, heaving his breaths as he adjusted his Bulgarian pride hat on his head.

Safi opened her mouth to speak, before a deathly shiver overcame her, and she turned her head, and immediately found the source of it. Lucious Malfoy; Voldemort lover extraordinaire.

"We'll put it this way, if it rains, you'll be the first to know!" Lucious quipped, his smug face growing a vile grin.

Then from behind him, Draco emerged, and Safi's sneer grew three times deeper.

"Father and I are in the ministries box!" the blonde boy snipped, strutting forward, his black cloak swishing, "by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself!".

Suddenly, Lucious shoved his evil looking cane into his son's chest, pushing him backwards harshly.

"Don't boast, Draco" he warned bitterly, before turning to face the group of them, "there's no need with these people" he sneered, like they were a mud stain on the face of the earth.

Then as everyone turned away, Safi heard a little sound of cloth ripping, and as she whirled around she saw Lucious had snagged Harry's sleeve to the railing.

"Do enjoy yourselves, won't you...while you can..." he said with an undercoat of threat.

Then, Safi let out a small chuckle, and suddenly, everyone got extremely nervous, just waiting for the little girl to explode.

But Safi seemed to be on a mature streak, so she simply turned her head, and walked away.

No she fucking didn't, she threw herself down the stairs, straight at Lucious Malfoy, but Arthur got to her first, and he held her tight around the waste, and lugged her the rest of the way up the stairs, until she calmed down enough to be allowed to walk by herself.

And finally, they made it to the top, and when I say top, I mean the VERY top. Safi felt like she could see the whole world from up this high, nevermind seeing every inch of the game.

Safi's ears then pricked up, and she heard the faint whooshing of something getting closer, and she had just enough time to duck before the entire Irish Quidditch team came roaring overhead, shaking the railing on which they stood.

The Irish supporters let out a massive roar, the sound of it making Safi's ears ring, and she absolutely loved the atmosphere of it.

Then the Bulgarians made their entrance, and Safi nearly cried, fuck she loved the Bulgarian team, they were honestly the greatest players the world had ever seen, and she bet a knut to Ginny that they'd win, and she was praying that Ginny wouldn't win, that girl had too much gloat for her goat.

"Good evening!" the voice of the minister abruptly boomed, making Safi roll her eyes. She had as much faith in the government as she had the Voldemort would suddenly drop his seething hatred and go to rehab or something. "It gives me great pleasure...to welcome each and every one of you, to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!".

Safi started booing loudly from the stands, cupping her hands around her mouth for extra emphasis, making everyone around her laugh and cackle madly, and Safi wished to go the bloody minister could hear her.

"Let the match...begin!".

* * *

Safi stood atop the table shaking her head and screaming at the top of her lungs the words 'IRELAND SUCKS'. Fred and George pretended to fly around her, their arms spread like wings, and Harry just stood to the side, completely enraptured by the sight.

Suddenly, Ron burst forth like a frantic mad man, his face flush and his eyes wide, kind of like he was swooning hard and fast.

"There's no one like Krum!" he cried desperately, sort of like he was reciting Shakespeare in front of a loved up crowd.

"Krum?" Fred mocked, his mouth open, completely aghast.

"Dumb Krum!" George moaned, shaking his head at Ron, annoyed he was related to such a big Bulgarian supporter.

But Ron wasn't perturbed, "he's like a bird the way he rides the wind!" he cried out again, his eyes glazing over as his mind wandered off to think of Krum.

But George and Fred started cawing like the worlds dumbest birds, their voices screeching and groaning as they flapped their arms erratically, round and round Ron.

"He's more than an athlete—" Ron spluttered as George threw the Irish flag at his face, "—he's an artist!" he swooned.

Ginny snorted behind her hand, before she came up behind her brother, "I think you're in love, Ron!" she purred cheekily, reaching up to pat his arm.

"Shutup!" Ron muttered, stamping his foot down.

The twins gave eachother a knowing look, before they pranced around Ron once more and both began singing.

"Viktor I love youuuuu" sang George.

"Viktor I doooooo!" Fred sang.

"When we're apart my heart beats only for youuu!" Harry, Safi, and the twins sang all together, laughing at the poor blushing boy.

And Safi would've kept laughing, if a sickness hadn't just crawled up her spine and into her mind, like a poisonous leech sucking the blood from her skin, and she shivered all over, and as she snapped her head to the flapping tent door, she knew what was coming, and worst of all, that it was already here.

"Sounds like the Irish are getting—-"

"It's not the Irish!" Safi and Arthur said ominously, and Safi swallowed thickly, and she grabbed Harry's arm like a vice, vowing then and there to never let him go.

"We have to get out of here, now!" Arthur warned, grabbing his children as best he could, and then hurrying everyone's toward the front, and as soon as they left the tent, the reality settled in.

Fire and smoke and the scent of fear filled the night sky, and screams erupted from all around them.

Safi grabbed onto as many of her friends as she could, but she couldn't hear anything over the pounding in her mind and the screams that filled the air.

She was shoved this way and that, and before she even realised, all her friends were gone, and she was walking all alone, but she wasn't in control of her feet, her brain was just telling her to go this way, straight into the fire, she needed to find him- she needed to find him- she neeeded—-

But then she was yanked back, and she looked up into George's brown eyes, and he looked down in hers, and with all his might he dragged her backwards, his arms clutching her waist and his brow furrowed in pure determination.

"I have to find him— I have to get him—" Safi blurted, her voice shaking more than her body was.

George looked down at her and shook his head, "Harry was right behind us, we'll find him" he promised, adjusting his grip on her body.

Safi shook her head, tears stinging her eyes, and she began fighting against his grip.

"I have to find him, I have to find him, I have to—" she stammered, shaking her head madly, "I promised I wouldn't leave him, we'd never leave eachother—"

Then, a piercing like a hot lead nail drilled itself into her mind, and she howled out a scream filled with such pain that she didn't even realise it came from her, then before she knew it, a vision was flashing through her mind;

 _~a man standing in Azkaban jail cell, the moonlight streaming down on his body, and he was jittering, shaking, his tongue flicking in and out of his mouth like a snake, like the man himself was a snake._

 _The man looked down at himself, and he smiled, a smile so cold...so cruel._

 _And then, as if he knew she was watching, he flicked his eyes just a touch to the right, and his eyes pierced straight into Safi, and he grinned.~_

And Safi fell limp, and George kept his grip on her, never letting her go, not even when he finally dragged her to safety, but even then, she was still out like a light, like something, or someone had simply reached inside and sniffed her out.


	18. Light her way

When Safi came to, she got the biggest shock of her life, in the form of Harry's ugly mug pressed right against her nose, his eyes unmoving and unblinking.

Safi let out a wild scream, and flailed backwards, falling in a lump on the unforgiving tiled floor.

"Why the fuck would you invade my space?!" Safi groaned, pushing herself up from the floor and flopping back down onto the bed.

And then it dawned on her, that she was not in fact in a familiar place at all, but what seemed like a normal hospital, except for the fact that there wasn't a machine in sight, instead a bunch of charmed potion bottles that occasionally sprayed or leaked something around the room floating just above her head.

She blinked her eyes once, twice, three times, and then she turned back to Harry, whose eyes were sunken and darkened in rings, his hair an unusual mess, quite like he had been sleeping on concrete, or even not sleeping at all, the poor boy was a mess.

"We thought you'd never wake up...we didn't know what was going on with you, Saf. I was so...so scared. When they said they had to take you to St Mungos- I freaked I-" he whispered, placing his hand delicately atop hers as if he was worried her hand would shatter beneath him.

Safi let out a nervous chuckle, "I'm alright, Harry, honestly I don't even remember what happened—-"

"And you think that's an okay thing?! Sirius is killing himself with worry— We all are!" he whispered harshly, rubbing his eyes quickly before turning back to stare at her, like he was hoping she wouldn't disappear suddenly and go somewhere he couldn't save her.

Safi frowned, sitting up in her bed, moving her out hand out from under his. "I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me, I don't even know—"

"You've been unconscious for a week, Safi!" Harry snapped, his eyes darkening more than they already were, and now Safi had time to truly study his face, and he looked almost as dead as he sounded, and it looked like Harry should be the one in the hospital bed.

The blonde girl's eyes widened, and she sat back in bed, completely gobsmacked and lost for words.

"A week?" she stammered out, putting her hand to her forehead, "but I wasn't attacked, all I had was a vision...", and then it dawned on her, the vision she saw...she suddenly remembered that horrible man. A shiver passed through her, and Harry immediately tucked the hospital blanket closer up around her, but Safi pushed it away.

"What happened after I was out? Did you see someone- a man?!" Safi asked urgently, clasping Harry's hand in her own.

This time, it was Harry who frowned, and Safi felt his hands tense up beneath hers, and she immediately began to feel sick again, her stomach churning and falling over itself.

"I saw a man...but they couldn't find him-"

"He's after you, Harry. That man is after you!" Safi cried out urgently, gripping onto his hands so hard her knuckles were paler than her face.

Harry, however, simply sat back in his chair, and unbelievably, a small smile jumped onto his face.

"What's one more person trying to come after me? This is like the hundredth person after all" he chuckled goofily, and Safi slapped his hands madly, beating them like a drum.

"You idiot! Don't laugh at this!" she screamed, hitting him on the head as the dumb boy kept laughing.

But slowly, Safi's punches slowed down, and Harry's infectious laugh grew on her, and she began to smile as well, the pull of it hurting her face muscles, but she kept of smiling wider.

"Shutup you blithering tool!" Safi cackled, throwing her arm around his neck and pulling him close to her, scruffing up his already scruffed up hair.

Their laughs must've rang through the whole of St Mungos, probably disturbing every single patient, but the pair didn't care, they just relished this moment, just as the unfortunate pair learned to relish every small moment they had together.

"Well, I'm awake now, let's make like a tree and fuck off!" Safi shouted excitedly, throwing the blanket off of her, and jumping out of the bed, and immediately falling flat on her face.

Harry came rushing over to her side, taking her in his arms and hoisting her upwards, trying very hard not to laugh in her face.

"My legs a wee bit numb" Safi mumbled, straining to move her legs, punching them madly so they'd regain some feeling, and about after the 37th punch, she began to feel again, and she shakily stood up, and with the help of Harry, she walked out the door. And immediately came face to face with Neville Longbottom.

"Safi!" Neville squeaked, his black hair bouncing up as he jumped backwards, nearly stumbling over his own feet. "I was just coming to see you! I was in the hospital anyway and I sort of missed you over the holidays!" he rambled, fumbling his hands with his little red and gold tie.

Safi giggled, adoring the way the boy rambled, and she slung her arms around him, squashing him with a hug.

"It's good to see you too, Nev! I missed your plant talks, do you have anything new on that front?" she asked, her eyes scanning his face, her face lighting up as his eyes widened excitedly.

Harry patted her on the back, smiling thinly as he walked past them towards the front door.

"I'll wait outside for you, Saf, I need to send a letter to a certain dog who is very eager to see you" Harry winked, opening the door and walking out, whistling some tune.

Safi giggled, before she turned to Neville, who suddenly gripped her shoulders, helping hold her up just as Harry had.

"Now that you mention it, I was wondering around my gran's house, she is very keen on her gardening, but anyway- I found a shining Myrtle plant! That plant is VERY interesting because— well I'll just show you!" he said excitedly, bouncing slightly as he walked, his goofy smile lighting up his whole face, and Safi couldn't help but smile wider as well.

Neville led Safi through St Mungos, almost like he knew every nook and cranny of this place memorised, and suddenly it dawned on Safi to ask- why was Neville even at the hospital. But before she opened her mouth to ask, her face fell, as Neville led her straight to two beds, each occupied by a person, and it didn't take a genius to figure it out- it was Neville's parents.

Alice Longbottom was sitting on the edge of her bed, her brown hair cut short that it just grazed the top of her shoulders, her eyes were sunken in, and they were glazed over, like she was off in a world entirely of her own, and Safi hoped with all her might that it was a good and happy world.

Frank was much the same, lying down in his bed, clean shaven and well taken care of, but one look in his eyes and you just knew, he was gone, just like his dearly beloved wife.

Safi then looked to Neville, and caught his staring down at his parents, but there wasn't a spot of anger, or resentment in his eyes, instead there was love, love so kind and sweet that Safi thought she'd never seen love like this before. The blonde girl had often thought just how brave Neville was, even though no one saw it, but she did. This boy was braver than he knew, and he would shake the world with it.

"Safi...this is my mum and my dad, just thought I'd introduce you" he whispered, nodding to his family, watching them with wide and softened eyes.

Safi looked to each of them, and nodded, smiling at them brightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both" Safi addressed, wishing to shake their hands, but knew that wouldn't work out, and that's okay.

Neville turned to her, and he looked happier than Safi had ever seen him, and in his hands, a shining little plant in a blue pot, it looked like it had stars on its leave, Safi had to blink a few times to adjust to its brightness.

"This is the plant I was talking about" Neville said happily, holding the little thing like it was a baby, "I decided to give it to mum. The nurses say she doesn't like the dark, so I just thought it could light her way, y'know?" Neville asked, turning to Safi unsure.

Safi nodded, and wrapped her hand around Neville's.

"It's beautiful, Nev, absolutely spectacular" she said genuinely, and she squeezed his hand assuringly.

Suddenly though, Alice stood up from her bed, and Safi looked on as the women bent down and started rifling through her draws, looking somewhat determined, but still as winless as someone could be, and it broke her heart.

But then the women stood up, her face still glazed over, but a small smile was placed upon her lips, and she stretched out her hands to Safi, and clutched in them, was a photo, a photo of Safi's mum.

Safi sucked in a shaky breath, and she gently took the photo of Lorna Psoft out of Alice's hands, and looked down at it, her smile as wide as it could possibly be.

"Thankyou..." Safi whispered to the woman, but Alice didn't appear to hear, instead she turned around, and wandered back to her bed, sitting down on it like nothing had even happened.

Neville bounced on the balls of his feet, the leaves of the shining plant shaking.

"We gave her photos of her life, so she might recognise someone! She recognised you, Saf! She recognised!" he laughed, almost erratically, and Safi jumped up and down with him too, laughing as Neville's heart lifted. And Safi vowed right there, they when this was all over she'd help his parents, any way she could, then she would.

"C'mon, Nev, I've got to catch up on school shopping" Safi giggled, lacing her hand in his, "lets go, we can check out the herbology and plant store on the way, I'll buy you a new plant".

Neville's eyes widened even more, and he grasped her hand tightly.

"Let's go!".


	19. This is bad

Safi reached across the table and gently shook the hands of the small, dark haired girl, watching as she shyly took her outstretched hand and shook it firmly.

"Welcome to Hufflepuff! If you have any problems with anyone, just come to me, I'll sort it out" Safi winked, causing the first year to giggle into her hand.

Cherie then slung her arm around the new girl, shaking her excitedly.

"And I will help you as well, but I'll do it legally!" Cherie beamed, giggling with the excited first year, hoping to make her feel as welcome as possible, which if Cherie had anything to do with, then that first year would definitely feel more at home probably than they did at home.

Safi then stood up on the bench, and flung her arms up in the air, waving across the room to everyone at the Gryffindor table.

Harry and Ron waved back gleefully, their arms flapping, Hermione gave a small shy wave, and Fred and George stood up on top of the table and waved back just as madly, making the table quake beneath them and everyone else on the table groan and shove at the twins.

Safi cackled aloud, jumping down into her seat after Professor Sprout yelled out across the hall at her.

"SAFINYA PSOFT IF YOU DON'T GET DOWN YOU'LL GET DETENTION FOR A YEAR AND A DAMN GOOD THRASHING!" Sprout screamed, shaking her fist dangerously in the air, her little straw hat bobbing on her head.

"DON'T THREATEN ME WITH A GOOD TIME!" Safi screamed back, causing giggles to erupt from the whole hall, basking the room in a gentle hum, even Dumbledore snickered in his seat.

Safi then cackled, and popped back down in her seat, grinning goofily at Cherie who was rolling her big brown eyes, tutting at Safi, trying to hide her little smile.

The school hall hummed with delighted talk between excited and nervous first years and age old friends, everyone just seemed to be extra eager this year.

Probably had something to do with the big fuck off ship outside, and maybe even the horde of Pegasus that flew in and nearly trampled poor Hagrid. Though being trampled by such a wonderful creature would probably be a perfectly acceptable way for Hagrid to go.

Everyone in Hogwarts at that moment was bubbling with enigmatic curiosity.

Except for Safi.

Safi instead, while all smiles on the outside just so everyone wouldn't worry, was a bubble of turmoil on the inside, and it was for good reason. Ever since she wound up in St Mungos, she had been stuck with the worst sick feeling she'd had in years, and this only meant one thing and one thing only; Voldemort. Safi already had the whole year planned out in her head; extra check ups on Harry, extra check ins with Dumbledore, even though he's still as of yet untrustworthy, and extra extra checking in with Sirius and his underground sources. This was going to be Harry's safest year yet, and Safi would make sure of it.

Suddenly, Dumbledore pushed back in his seat, the sound scraping against the floor, and he stood and walked his way to the front stand where he usually addressed the school, the gold stand spreading its golden wings, making the whole hall hush as the wizened wizard cleared his throat.

"Well, now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement—"

'Oh shit' Safi thought, her mind slowly reeling backwards as the headmaster kept speaking, this didn't sound good and safe.

"This castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well!" he announced, waving his hands with an excited flourish.

"Oh fuck" Safi thought, wringing her hands under the table, her breath turning shallow and cautious, "fuckity fuck".

Suddenly, the entrance squeaked open, and in galloped good old Filch, running rather like a demented horse with only 3 legs. But Safi honestly couldn't even laugh in that moment, and Cherie gazed at her, perplexed. Her best friend would never pass up the chance to laugh at Filch...something was wrong.

"You see, Hogwarts has been chosen—-" Dumbledore continued, until Filch ran right up to him, and whispered something in his ear, and Safi's ears pricked up, and apparently "someone had to wait".

And as Filch galloped back out, Safi gulped hard, running a hand through her loose blonde curls anxiously.

"Son of a cunt" Safi whispered to herself, and then she jumped up in her chair, as Cherie gently placed her hand atop the shaking girls' and squeezed it gently. Safi almost couldn't take comfort in the gesture, but she smiled at her best friend nonetheless. Safi wasn't one to let someone feel helpless, especially when it came in the attempt to help a friend.

"So, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event...the Triwizard tournament!" Dumbledore shouted, throwing his arms up in the air, right at the exact moment that Safi's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

Safi had to slap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from shouting out. She had no fucking clue what the fuck was going on, but she knew, she just fucking knew, that this was a bad idea.

"From each school, a single student is selected to compete...now let me be clear; if chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint hearted..." Dumbledore announced ominously, staring down the eyes of each and every student, piercing into their very souls.

Safi tensed, so tense if someone knocked into her they would've broken their hand, and Cherie started to get worried, looking at the poor girl, completely unable to do anything, and Safi couldn't keep it in anymore, she was freaking the fuck out. This was supposed to be a safe year! But noooooo. Safety isn't allowed at Hogwarts.

"But more of that later! For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely gentleman and ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of magic!—"

Suddenly, the front entrance burst open, and all heads turned and all jaws dropped.

Girls and boys of all ages waltzed in, and they were all literally something that walked straight out of a fairytale book. They were all strutting like a peacock, and they looked like peacocks too, perfectly manicured hair, boys with slicked back and shiny curls, girls with smiles brighter than stars, and they were all done up in periwinkle uniforms.

They all strolled up the centre isle, a black haired boy paused straight in front of Safi's table and he winked at her as he extended his hand, and he let out a gentle and rather enticing sigh, as did all the other students as if they timed it perfectly beforehand. Suddenly they all walked forward again, and this time a red headed girl paused in front of Safi, and she winked too, and Safi honestly couldn't help but wink back, despite how she was feeling.

The girls and boys all began running forward, their skirts and pressed trousers shimmying and swishing like water and silk, and as the girls and boys came to the front, blue butterflies were charmed forth from them all, and as they sighed, the butterflies fluttered skyward like little fireworks.

"Oh...my...Merlin..." Cherie gasped, completely gone slack jaw from that event, and suddenly the whole hall rose up in applause, girls and boys whistling and howling praise at the introduction of Beauxbatons, and Safi knew that more than a few French kisses would be passed around this year, and she was more than excited.

Safi's eyes also widened, as their headmistress strutted down the isle, and Safi let out a snort as she watched Hagrid's jaw drop down onto the table, and Safi let out a little 'aw'.

As the applause simmered down, and Beauxbaton students all delicately took their seats on the Ravenclaw table, Dumbledore flourished his arms again to readdress the school.

"And now our friends from the North! Please greet the proud sons and daughters of Durmstang, and their headmaster Igor Karkaroff!" he shouted.

The front entrance swung open once more, but this time there was no delicate airs being strutted, instead, these students emanated pure power, and they meant it as they came in, girls and boys all done up in red and furs, all stone faced and buff, and all carrying staffs that even the most brave student would shy away from.

No one paused to sigh in front of Safi, but a dark faced girl did give her a side eye, and Safi winked back, and she swore she saw the girl's stoney facade crack a little bit, but she could be wrong.

The girls and boys of Durmstrang chanted and sang together, a powerful and intimidating song that basically said 'don't fuck with me', and Safi was totally digging this.

The students banged their staffs on the ground, causing golden sparks to fly up and around the hall, making those seated in the centre isle shy away from them, which made the Durmstrang students smirk. Then they all came to the front, and started flipping and spinning and high kicking all over the show, one girl in a fur coat even backflipped off of Dumbledore's golden stand, causing the professor to give a little giggle.

Then, walking up the centre isle, making Safi let out an unbelievably loud snort, was Viktor Krum, seeker legend, swaggering in with his fur coat and his little, fuzzy hat, walking in like he owned the place, and to be honest he probably could.

Then, as a final show, a boy leaned down, with a little stick of fire, and blew out a breath, and suddenly a dragon flew through the air and spared up into the sky, sparking and glowing like the sun, and Safi let out an excited cackle, clapping like a damn madman, forgetting her previous worries and sick feeling for that moment.

The whole school erupted in applause once more, and Safi let out a long and raucous howl which would make any dog or wolf proud, making a few Durmstrang look at her strangely.

The Durmstrang students settled themselves down on the Slytherin table, and honestly Safi was sad Hufflepuff didn't get chosen to be sat at, but she'll be damned if she wasn't gonna try and make friends.

The feast began, food appearing like magic (haha) right before their eyes, but Safi instead turned around in her seat, swivelling straight around to the Slytherin table behind her, and smiled straight at two Durmstrang girls, one fair haired and eyes like water, one the completely opposite with dark short curls and eyes like the midnight sky.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, ladies, I'm Safi" she clicked, waving at the two girls who nodded back to her.

"I'm Elsa" the dark girl said, a thick Swedish accent coming through, and she extended her hand curtly to Safi, who shook it happily.

"I'm Tasha" the blonde girl said, a hint of a Russian accent shining with her voice, and she nodded politely to Safi who nodded right back.

"We've just been told zat your school house iz ze weak one, is zat true?" Tasha asked, looking to two Slytherin girls who rolled their eyes at Safi.

Safi threw her head back and let out a barking laugh, and she wiped a fake tear from her eye.

"Hufflepuff isn't weak, just ask anyone if I'm weak, I dare you, I double dare you!" Safi giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at the two girls.

Tasha and Elsa turned to the two Slytherin girls they had been talking to, and both girls shied away at Safi's glare, and instead picked in their plates and moved down the opposite end of the table without so much as a word.

It was the Durmstrang girl's turn to laugh, both their accents making themselves known, and Safi found their laughs rather infectious.

"We will stick with you, da?" Tasha grinned, winking her twinkling blue eyes at Safi.

Safi winked back, seems like it was the night for winking, and she patted the seat beside her and Cherie, who was watching this exchange with wide and entranced eyes, and offered it to the two girls, who slotted in the place gladly.

As Safi was about to introduce the girls to Cherie, Dumbledore walked back up to his stand, waving his arms out, immediately commanding the attention of everyone.

"Your attention please! I'd like to say a few words", he commanded, and a hush spread over the hall. Dumbledore looked out across the school, "eternal glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks! Three, extremely dangerous tasks!" he brooded, frowning seriously.

The two Durmstrang girls beside Safi began to laugh excitedly amongst themselves, and they exchanged a high five, making Safi smile at their enthusiasm for the danger. To be honest, Safi admired their bravery, and honestly, if circumstances were different, Safi would be high fiving as well, but she has had rather enough danger, and to be honest, she'd like a holiday, but that seemed increasingly unlikely as Dumbledore kept on talking.

"For this reason, the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule!" he announced, and suddenly, Safi's spirit and hopes lifted. "To explain all this, we have the head of the department of magical cooperation, Mr Bartemius Crouch—-".

But as the ministry man was walking right up to the front, a thunder cracked and seemingly opened up the ceiling, shaking everyone in the whole hall, and rain began thundering down, falling on the heads as lightening beamed down.

Safi ducked her head, holding her arms up as she grabbed Cherie, holding her close to her. Safi didn't know what just happened, but it didn't feel good, and if her life has taught her anything, it was keep those you loved close by, especially when roofs started leaking.

Suddenly, out of no where, a man hobbled out from across the room, a man with a mad eye, and he thrust his wand in the air, a jet of white and red shooting up straight into the sky, and soon, the rain cleared, the thunder and lightening was no more, and the whole room cleared.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who the stranger was. Safi had heard about Mad Eye Moody from her father, one of the most influential dark wizards catchers of the age, a legendary auror, and Safi could tell just by looking at him, don't fuck with him.

The man hobbled up with his staff straight to Dumbledore, and they clasped hands, exchanging a few quiet words, and then the weird moment was forgotten, but the strain was still ever present in the air.

The minister finally walked up, and spread his hands out beside him, almost like he was scared.

"After due consideration, the ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of 17 will be able to put their name forth—-"

All of a sudden the hall shook with cries of protest, mostly from Fred and George, and their howls of anger rang clear. Boos and hisses rang out, but not from Safi, she was honestly okay to take a back seat from this mess.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore bellowed madly, making most people flinch, but Safi just let out a little giggle.

Then, a thick silence echoed across the hall, sinking into every student, and Dumbledore extended his hand, all dramatically, making Safi roll her eyes and audibly gag, but even she couldn't help but watch intently as under Dumbledore's command, the golden vessel mounted up on the stage began to melt, to reveal a grey, stoned goblet, which suddenly lit up, its blue flame could be felt from even where Safi was sitting, and it seemed like every student could feel its power.

"The Goblet of Fire!" Dumbledore called out, "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment, and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night" he instructed, and Safi could feel the hope and interest rise in every single student.

Then, after all the while, the same sick feeling rose itself back up in Safi, and she frowned, staring straight at the Goblet, and she felt even more disgusted, not even knowing why, but she just knew, this year was not going to go to plan.

"If chosen, there's no going back" Dumbledore warned, and every word he said felt like a thorn in Safi's stomach and brain.

"As from this moment...the Triwizard Tournament has begun...".


	20. Don't you dare call me crazy

"Nev, look at me" Safi whispered, squeezing his shaking hand, "c'mon just look at me, please" she begged.

The poor quaking boy flicked his eyes to hers, but he couldn't hold the stare long, and he tucked his knees up to his chin, resting his head on them as he pulled his hand out from underneath hers.

"I'm fine, Saf. I just...it made me think, Y'know? Really think about...about what they must've gone through" Neville explained slowly, absentmindedly stroking the grass with his hand.

Safi didn't scoot any closer to him, instead she just looked down, and her brow creased, and she cursed herself, but maybe there was nothing to say in that moment to comfort the boy.

All Safi wanted to do was go rip out Mad Eye's mad eye and shove it down his curse wielding throat. How dare he think he can do something like that, and to Neville of all people. Do people honestly have no sense of post traumatic stress? Especially such an auror, he should know all about this shit.

"Want me to go hit him with a stick?" Safi offered, smiling softly at the boy.

Neville's face lifted a bit, and Safi saw an almost smile start to bloom. But the pain was still real, and he just shook his head, instead taking out a new book, an old and green one, and opened it gently to the first page.

"Moody gave me this herbology book, as a sort of apology I suppose, think I'll just distract myself, plants always help me in moments like this" he explained, fiddling with the aged binding of the book as he gave a crooked smile to the blonde girl.

Safi nodded, completely understanding, and she stood up slowly, giving the boy a small wave, before she began trudging away, clenching and unclenching her fists in anger.

The girl knew it had been a whole week since Moody had cast the curses in class, she hadn't been there because she was ditching to go throw smoke bombs at some gnomes, but she had heard well enough about it, and it had ruined her whole week. Not even when Fred and George a botched ageing potion and grew some sick beards did her anger waver. No one messed with Neville Longbottom. No one.

She thought of a place to go in her mind, any place other than Moody's office to pummel the shit out of him, because she didn't feel like getting expelled at the moment. But she didn't really have to think of any place to go, as she was flanked by none other than Salazar Octaz, who was wearing a bright pink dress, followed by two very pretty Beauxbaton boys.

Safi rolled her eyes, turning to Sal who grinned slyly down at her, and she let out a scoff.

"You know, when I asked for help, I didn't mean tell everyone my dad was a fucking bridge troll, I meant something like my dad was a rockstar or an astronaut or literally ANYTHING but a bridge troll" Safi groaned, clapping Sal on the arm and hissing as her hand connected with his surprisingly toned muscles.

Sal snickered loudly, and the two Beauxbaton boys dawned over the sound, practically swooning at the Slytherin boy's feet.

"You didn't specify anything! You just said make sure people didn't think Sirius Black was your father! Now they don't, and people now understand where all your anger comes from when they picture a perfectly happy bridge troll birthing you into the world" he sassed, pulling up the straps on his dress closer to his shoulders.

Safi shook her head firmly, trying desperately to stalk away from him, but finding herself unable, and she vehemently cursed her stubby, little legs.

"Have I got you all stirred up, little girl?" Sal purred into her ear, making her jump back away from him and pull the biggest frown she possibly could, and sadly she couldn't help the blush that ran across her face.

"Piss off" she grumbled, her face burning and her fists clenched, and she ran away as fast as she could, running straight into the school halls, only to find that everyone was already running, and Safi raised a brow.

"Is there a fire somewhere?" Safi called out to random students, who completely ignored her and kept on running down the hall, their robes and coats swishing around behind them.

Safi shrugged, and decided to run where they were running, maybe there was a fight or something?

But as Safi followed the running children, she found they all lead straight to the hall, where it seemed every person in Hogwarts found themselves cramped up against the walls, hustling and bustling fervently, filling the room with an eclectic hum. Then, as Safi was shoved out of the way by someone so she shoved them back and they started crying, it suddenly dawned on her why they were all here.

It was selection day.

Safi gave one final push to the random Ravenclaw student, and shoved her way to the Gryffindor table, immediately finding Harry, who was whispering something probably stupid to Ron and Hermione.

"Look who joined the party! Excited to see who gets chosen?" George asked up to her, making her snicker as she realised his hair was still grey from the botched ageing potion.

"Yeah I'm absolutely thrilled to see who'll get to compete in this death trap, I'm so excited, Georgie" she sassed, flicking him on the nose, taking a seat on top of Harry, laughing as he groaned underneath her, cursing her as he slapped her on the head.

Soon, the teachers arrived, and the hum of the students simmered down, but the feeling never left, it was sort of like the feeling before a storm, and as Safi looked out across she smiled at the adrenaline filled faces of all the students, she could practically feel their hopes of being picked for the tournament. And as Safi watched Dumbledore take centre stage at the front of the hall, looming ominously around the Goblet of Fire, she felt a niggling inside of her brain, and she started to cough as the sick feeling of a premonition overcame her.

"Now the moment you've all been waiting for!" Dumbledore called out as Safi clutched at her head, clenching her eyes as the niggling feeling worked itself straight into her brain.

Suddenly, the Goblet began to burst to life, and a plume of smoke and fire rose forth, lighting the whole hall up, and a small piece of paper flew straight into Dumbledore's hand, right as the face of a person filled Safi's mind.

 _~A Durmstrang student, a tall and strong boy, already too famous for his liking, his insecurities running deep, and his handsome face falling into sadness whenever his headmaster is around_ ~

"The Durmstrang champion...is Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore called out, causing the hall to erupt into cheers, and also a few groans of defeat, and Viktor walked up to shake Dumbledore's hand, then walking away out of sight.

The Goblet burst into flames again, erupting up into the air, and Safi gasped quietly as a new face pierced her mind.

~ _A beautifully troubled girl, long, blonde hair twisting down her back, and her family taking all the place in her heart, and she just wants to be accepted_ ~

"The Beauxbatons champion...is Fleur Delacour" Dumbledore announced again, and cries once again filled the hall, and Fleur was smiling broadly, and as she walked up, shaking Dumbledore's hand, Safi winced as her brain began screaming again.

The Goblet rose up again, columns of fire streaming skyward, and Dumbledore caught the little piece of paper once again, and Safi thumped her temples.

~ _A boy that makes everyone around him proud, his brown hair whistling in the wind as he flies on his broom, his kind smile lighting up the whole school_ ~

"The Hogwarts champion...is Cedric Diggory!" Dumbledore cried, and every single person in Hogwarts absolutely lost their shit, screaming out as Cedric walked up to shake Dumbledore's hand.

And as Dumbledore made his final comments, Safi thought that would be the end of it, that her brain would stop feeling like molten lead inside of her skull, that the sick tingling feeling would stop, that she would stop seeing faces...but she didn't, and then, the Goblet rose up in fire again, and Dumbledore caught the piece of paper as Safi let out a weak cry.

 _~A boy who's biggest dream is to have his family beside him, a boy with hair too scruffy and a scar on his head, a boy who has too much responsibility for a child_ ~

"...Harry Potter" Dumbledore whispered, and Safi slammed her fists into her head, trying desperately to hold back her sobs as Harry stopped breathing beside her, and the whole school became more silent than a grave.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again, and Safi cursed herself as her brain stopped its visions, and she finally opened her eyes and looked to Harry, to see him wide eyed and absolutely terrified, just as much as her.

"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore screamed, his voice halfway between rage and shock, and Hermione shoved Harry forward, and Safi's heart sunk down into her body as she watched her brother walk up to Dumbledore and take the piece of paper, then as he walked through the halls accompanied by the taunts and angered cries of other students, Safi slammed her fists into the table, feeling it almost splinter underneath her, and all eyes in the hall turned to her, and she let out an angered scream.

* * *

Safi wandered aimlessly through the halls, the invisibility cloaked wrapped tight around her body, covering all of her, and she sniffled into her hand, wiping away the hot tears that spilled out from her eyes.

She had seen Harry off to bed, making sure to hug him extra times, just in case something else ridiculous and fucked up happened to him in the middle of the night.

Safi honestly couldn't do anything but cry. She was supposed to make sure Harry was going to be okay, she was going to make this the safe year, so how the fuck was she supposed to do that while he was off joining in on death games?

The answer is of course she couldn't. And as Dumbledore said, once chosen you stand alone. Safi had made sure her whole life that Harry was never alone, but now he had to be, and there wasn't a thing she could do.

Surely they wouldn't let him compete right? That ministry bloke said they wouldn't let under 17s compete and that rule was final. So surely tomorrow morning this mistake would be cleared up, and tomorrow Harry would be safe again.

Safi let out a shaky breath, her feet taking her up some stairs and down others, and in the end she honestly had no idea where she was, but she suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth as she picked up the distant sound of voices, and she creeped slowly closer out of curiosity.

She slowly realised it was the teachers talking, McGonagall especially, and she inched forward again, and pressed her ear flat against the cold, wood door, the voices coming clearer now.

"This cant go on Albus, first the dark mark, now this" McGonagall stressed, her brogue coming through the door clearly.

"What do you suggest, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, his voice clearly strained and stressed as well.

"Put an end to it!" McGonagall cried, and Safi nearly cried aloud in agreement, stopping herself just in time. "Don't let Potter compete!".

Their voices then muddled together, and Safi figured they must've moved away from the door, and she pressed herself even closer, straining desperately to her them, praying to whatever gods may be that they let Harry go from the tournament of death.

"Headmaster, I too find it difficult to believe this is a mere coincidence..." Snape's deep voice came through, "however...if we are to truly discover the meaning of these events, perhaps we should- for the time being...let them unfold" Snape explained.

Safi sucked in a harsh breath, and she clenched her teeth so hard she thought they might shatter, but she kept quiet all the same, but if her anger boiled to the surface anymore she might explode and fly at Snape like a mad bear with a vengeance.

"What?! Do nothing? Offer him up as bait?!" McGonagall cried, and as she spoke, fresh tears streamed down Safi's angry, crimson face, and she breathed raggedly, seeing nothing at all but anger, "Potter is a boy! Not a piece of meat!" the teacher cried.

"I agree...with Severus" Dumbledore spoke, and that was it, that was all Safi could take.

Safi shoved her shoulder into the old wood door, and burst into the darkened room, staring directly at the shocked faces of the three teachers all standing around, and she clenched her fists at her sides, the tears streaming down her face unfelt by the sheer anger of the little girl.

"You-" she seethed, pointing straight at Snape, "can go choke on your beloved potions, you sadistic cunt" she spat, then she pointed to Dumbledore, "and you can go FUCK YOURSELF!" she screamed, her voice creaking and straining.

At first, all the adults couldn't even process how she had gotten into the room, but Snape was the first to snap out of his shock, and he frowned deeply, turning to the blonde girl with a vile sneer.

"You don't have a say in this, little girl" he snapped, shaking his head at her madly.

Safi wavered in rage, and she shook her head fiercely.

"This is my brother we're talking about, my Harry! You can't do this!" she screamed, her voice raw and tearful, and she choked up, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks which she wiped away hastily.

"Safi...calm down, go back to your dorm immediately!" McGonagall warned, although her face was soft at the crying girl, and she raised her hands softly, in a feeble attempt to calm her down.

But Safi flinched away from the woman's outstretched hands, and shook her head once more.

"You get him out of it, now!" Safi begged, her eyes teary, and pleading with Dumbledore.

Snape scoffed, sneering at her.

"Crazy bitch" he muttered.

Then that was it, Safi snapped, and she flew forward, straight for Snape.

But she was held back by McGonagall, barely stopped a centimetre from Snape, her fist raised straight up to his greasy face, and to Safi's delight, he flinched.

"Don't you dare call me crazy" she spat in his face, shrugging her arm roughly from the headmistresses grip, giving one last scathing look to Dumbledore, before she left the way she came, shrugging the cloak back onto her body and retreating into the darkness, and if she was honest, she didn't feel anything, not even anger anymore.

She took a deep breath, looking into the darkness, and for once, she was almost calm, if not for her whole body shaking, you would say she was almost relaxed.

If Harry had to compete in this bloody tournament, then she'd do everything in her power to make sure he would come out the other end. And she would do anything, anything to keep him safe, just seemed like it'd be extra hard this year. But for tonight, she'd done fighting, but for tomorrow, she'd punch anyone she had to, and that was that.


	21. Go jump off the astronomy tower!

Harry sat against the great willow tree on the Quidditch pitch, picking at the grass beneath him with all the seething anger of a goose, the setting sun retreating behind the hill, casting shadows across the land.

"...And he literally turned to me and said 'Piss Off' in his usual stupid voice, and then the thickhead bumped into my in class yesterday and my books fell! And don't even get me started on when he—"

"Shutup!" Safi groaned, throwing a gigantic stick at him, giggling as it hit him square in the forehead, bouncing off and down to the ground. "Ron has never been good at expressing his emotions, and as a matter of fact he's very insecure about his inability to do so" Safi explained, raising a brow at him.

Harry threw his hands up, and his face turned a light red as he started blubbering.

"That's no excuse!" Harry wailed, "he's my best friend, he's supposed to support me and trust me!" he said with a grunt, throwing himself backwards onto the grass, letting out an angry huff.

Safi was honestly a bit loss for words, usually it was her being angry and Harry having to be the one that listened to her rant and rave for hours on end. But in light of Harry's current situation, his anger was more than understandable.

"I'm sorry that Ron is a thunder cunt at the moment, and I'm sorry that the universe in its infinite wisdom chose to put you into probably the worst idea since putting a giant fuck off snake into a school, I am just really sorry and I want you to know that I love you" Safi promised, grabbing Harry around his head and clutching him close to her like a big mama bird.

Harry grunted, wrapping his arms loosely around her with all the enthusiasm of a dead pixie, letting out something between a scream and a sigh.

"I'm just so tired...so tired of things happening to me and to you. I mean I'm only 14, and you're only just turned 15! Can't we ever catch a break?" he whispered against her, his face now fallen and sunken in like a cloudy day had just passed through his mind and over his eyes.

Safi stroked his untameable hair, and held him close, because really what else could she do to tell him it was going to be okay?

"I love you" she whispered, looking down into his green eyes.

Harry looked up at her, and a small smile twitched onto his face, as if for just a second he forgot what situation he was in.

"Love you more" he whispered back.

After a few moments, Harry sat up from her lap and let out a last sigh, before slowly getting to his feet and stretching, his back cracking with a satisfying pop.

"Well, it's nearly night time, I've got a meeting with Hagrid, apparently he's been looking for me" he said, shaking his head and his thoughts out, the stars just coming out to twinkle in his round glasses.

Safi sat up too, stretching out her little legs as best she could.

"Yeah I've gotta go too, I'm late on an astronomy assignment and if I fail then Madam Hooch is taking me off the team, and God knows Hufflepuff is nothing without me!" Safi boasted, snickering as she let her curls loose from her bun.

Harry choked back a laugh, coughing as he looked at her with laughter sparkling in his eyes.

"You fucking suck at astronomy, so good luck, Psoft" Harry called over his shoulder, his skinny legs looking rather like sticks in the growing darkness of the night.

Safi breathed deeply and for a moment she just took in her surroundings, looking around at the night, cursing the stars because astronomy is a bullshit class, but all in all she really enjoyed the night, and she liked stars, mostly because Sirius was the best star in the whole galaxy and the best star in her life.

Suddenly, a prickle feeling spread across the back of her neck, and as she craned her head backwards and locked eyes with someone way up in the willow tree, she let out an annoyed grunt.

"Fuck off, Sal!" Safi called up, her voice echoing across the hills and into the night.

Salazar Octaz giggled, and jumped down from the low hanging branch, landing directly in front of Safi, rolling his muscled body up slowly and watching her with cat-like purpose.

"I'm surprised you didn't even see me, you usually always notice me straight away" he purred, his smirk visible even in the darkness.

Safi rolled her eyes, but thanked God he couldn't see her blush.

"Happy birthday by the way, I heard the Weasley twins threw you a great bash" he yawned, stretching out his toned arms, pulling up his shirt, revealing his toned stomach, making Safi blush even harder.

"Go jump off the astronomy tower!" Safi screeched in a mad panic, shoving Sal out of the way and stomping across the grounds, cursing her panicked self as she picked up her book bag off the ground, feeling inside for her telescope, making her way straight to the astronomy tower with a grunt and a groan.

"I'm gonna fucking fail this class".

* * *

Safi squinted with all her might.

"Noooo, not there" she mumbled, licking her lips in growing frustration.

She practically rammed the telescope into her eyeball, her breaths coming out more and more annoyed with every time she searched a new area of the starry night sky, and still couldn't see the fucking Sagittarius constellation.

"Nope, no he's not fucking there either, why would he be?!" she cackled angrily with a sneer.

Safi had been up in the dark astronomy tower for upwards of an hour. She would have loved to have used her time for better, more nefarious deeds, but nope, she was staring up into the sky.

With a final grunt, she tore the telescope away from her face, and without a second thought, drop kicked it across the floor of the astronomy tower, hearing a loud crash echo across the classroom.

She let out a rather ungracious snarl and threw her arms up, huffing loudly, "Fuck you, sky! I hope you get fucking dragon pox!"

"Hey now, dragon pox is nothing to joke about" a voice purred.

Safi whirled around, her eyes narrowing in caution, before they settled on a tall figure leaning charmingly against a column. The figure was cloaked in darkness, but even she had to admit to herself she knew exactly who it was just by how gorgeous his fucking shadow was.

A frown broke out on her face and she crossed her arms, her Hufflepuff tie crinkling against her chest.

"Salazar Octaz" she called out, her frown growing deeper, "are you stalking me everywhere I go now?".

Salazar folded his arms, mirroring her actions, and he leaned forward just a touch, the moonlight welcoming his almost perfectly sculpted face. He strode forward, his dark green sweater rippling across his muscles.

Seeing him around school and in class, Safi and half the horny population of Hogwarts took great pleasure in noticing that Sal always wore shirts and pants a little too tight, even his dresses and crop tops were so unbelievably tight they might as well be ripped off by the slightest movement, but somehow they stayed on.

"Well you did tell me to throw myself off the astronomy tower, so here I am! And you just look so cute when you're flustered I had to follow you. Also I find it rather funny that you recognise me in the dark, do you look at me that often?" he teased, an easy grin lighting up his face.

Safi chuckled under her breath, not taking the bait, even though she was honestly considering it.

"How many other Slytherins in this school creep around like weirdos?" she taunted back, never taking her eyes off of him.

He let out a chuckle, easing himself off the column and slowly stalking towards her.

"Touché" he cooed, his smooth lips splitting into a breathtaking smile.

Safi had to take full control of every muscle in her body, because just now they all wanted to grab him and scream at him and kiss him or literally do anything to his body and his stupid face. But Safi was a bit of a sore loser, and she wasn't going to make Sal think she was one of his crazed fangirls.

Safi decided to feign indifference, whipping around and stalking over to one of the school desks where her book bag was, lazily lifting her wand and flicking it slightly at her abused telescope, and it came flying towards her and slamming straight into her outstretched hand, like a little gold hummingbird.

Sal watched on, impressed, "Maybe I could help you" he offered, striding over to the desk, gazing over her shoulder down at the contents of the golden book bag, his face so close to her his breath scaled across her neck.

Safi hastily closed the bag, turning her head slightly, which turned out to be the biggest mistake as she found herself only a hairs breadth away from Sal's handsome face.

The blonde stilled, praying her face didn't turn as red as a Phoenix, even though she knew damned well it was, and so did he.

"Well look what we have here" Sal breathed, staring deeply into her eyes, his own eyes practically laughing. "It seems that the toughest girl in school is blushing" he teased.

Sal's breath fanned across Safi's cheeks, and she sucked in her own breath, her cool facade quickly crumbling.

"Blushing?" she chuckled dryly, automatically licking her lips. "You must be seeing things, Octaz" she joked badly.

Sal's lips curled into an almost victorious smirk, and a deep chuckle rumbled from his chest.

(NSFW)

(NSFW)

(NSFW)

(NSFW)

"Oh I'm seeing many things..." he purred, slowly moving his head towards Safi's even closer until his nose brushed against her cheek and he moved towards her neck, where he placed a kiss that was almost like torture and yet made Safi shiver from head to toe. "...and I like all of them" he finished with a grin.

Safi blinked once, to make sure she wasn't dreaming. And in the instance she was satisfied she wasn't, she grabbed the side of Sal's face, wrenched him forward and crushed her lips to his, sighing against him as she slid against his body, ignoring the fact that every fibre in her being was screaming.

Safi, if she was being honest, was so excited to have sex, especially with Hogwarts most sexy boy. Of course she was nervous, but she'd be damned if she'd ever let nerves get in the way of something she wanted, and she damn well wanted Sal.

Safi could feel the boy's smile grow against her lips, and he took no time to stop. He parted her lips with his tongue, and simultaneously grabbed her underneath her thighs and pushed her up against the desk with such force that it creaked urgently.

But the pair ignored the desk's groans of protest, listening only to each others groans of quickly growing pleasure and excitement.

Safi completely ignored her stomachs flips of nervousness at being a virgin, and instead went to steady work on the shining buttons of his white shirt, speedily peeling the pesky piece of clothing from his gorgeous body. Because if Safi was anything, it definitely wasn't a scared bitch.

For a boy that sexy, it was practically a sin to wear clothes. Especially at a time like this.

Sal pulled away from their fervent kiss, and moved to splay his hand across the small of her back, and with his free hand, he slowly, so slowly that it almost killed Safi on the inside, he began unbuttoning her own shirt.

Safi breathed heavily, and after a few torturous moments she sighed loudly.

"You fucking tease" she whispered huskily and out of breath.

Sal barked out a purring chuckle, before he undid the final button, and flicked upon her shirt, slowly pushing back one shoulder of her shirt to reveal her skin to the moonlight, then he dipped his hot mouth to her collarbone, peppering smooth kiss along her body until he reached her breasts, then he pulled away.

Safi accidentally let out a whine of protest, before she looked up at him, and saw him staring back down at her.

Suddenly, a pluck of courage strung up in Safi's chest, and she slowly began to pull of the rest of her shirt, just as slowly as he had unbuttoned it.

This time, it was Sal who let out the whine of protest, and as he reached a hand forward, Safi slapped it away with a smirk. Then she shook off her shirt, letting it fall to the floor, she unzipped her skirt, watching it fall to the floor. Finally, she unhooked her bra, but this time, she watched the heat grow in Sal's eyes, and watched him begin to smile as her bra fell to the floor.

Sal couldn't hold back any more, he stalked forward and slid his arms around her waist, holding a hand against her breast and gently he flicked his thumb against her nipple, making Safi arch her back and fall against his chest.

Safi, still hung up from her courage, grabbed him by the shoulders, and suddenly yanked him forward, effectively pushing him into a seated position on top of the creaking desk. Before he could even smirk, she lifted her thigh over him, straddling his lap and she pressed her lips hungrily against his again.

Safi heard the unbuckling of pants, and her breath hitched, but as she breathed heavily, Sal pulled back from the kiss, and stared seriously into her eyes, holding her head softly in his hand.

"Listen, Saf. I know that you haven't done this before, and I just want you to know—" but Safi cut him off, pressing her hand against his mouth.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I think if you don't fuck me right now on this desk I'm going to fucking punch you in the face" she moaned.

And as she pulled her hand away, Sal stilled had a serious look on his face.

But his worries were dispelled quickly, as she deftly lifted herself onto him, and their desperate moans quickly began to fill the silent night.


End file.
